SPORTS
June 13,
2012 By Dave Dyer Salem's
Rastello did it all on and off the field
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(reprint of Eagle-Tribune newspaper
article from June 13, 2012) SALEM, NH — If you're looking for a specific
answer, don't bother asking Salem junior Brianna
Rastello to choose what was her most rewarding
accomplishment in what has been a quite
remarkable spring. Understandably, it's not going to
happen. You might know Rastello as perhaps the
biggest surprise on the Salem softball team, how
she went from a JV afterthought last year to a
valuable member of the varsity this year,
sealing an air-tight infield after switching to
second base from the outfield and hitting over
.400 But
there's been more going on in Rastello's life. A
lot more. First, she finished first in the New
Hampshire State Science Fair for the second
straight year, this time for a project that
studied the impact of soda on teeth
deterioration, and then more recently she had a
children's book she authored with two friends in
third grade released by AnEx Publications in
paperback and as a Kindle Fire eBook which is
available on Amazon.com. The book, "The Adventures of Sam
Spike: The Case of the Missing Man," got rave
reviews when featured nationally, along with
Rastello, on Yahoo.News earlier in the month. "It's all been amazing and I couldn't pick one thing," said Rastello. "I'm amazed that people seem to care so much about the book and read it, the science fair was amazing and being a part of a team with such great chemistry was awesome." After going undefeated in the regular season, it was tough to lose in the State Championship game. Hopefully, we’ll get another shot at it next year.
Of all her accomplishments, her
progression on the softball field may have been
her most impressive, however. She even surprised
herself. "Honestly, my goal was just to get an
opportunity to play on the team," she said.
"Hitting had always been my downfall and I knew
I had to work on it, so I went to the cages a
lot, became more comfortable and built up my
confidence. "But I was definitely surprised by how
well I did." Veteran coach Harold Sachs was
certainly not expecting Rastello's meteoric
rise. "Bri has been a real pleasant surprise
for us," said Sachs. "Her bat, and base running
was at an all-star level. She works hard on her
skills every day in practice, and it shows in
her development as a player. "Bri also had an impact on our team
dynamics. She relates well to everyone, and has
a unique personality. She is clearly
academically gifted ... a very well rounded
young lady." Indeed, Rastello is a three-sport
athlete; she tends goal as a co-captain on the
field hockey squad; plays guard on the Blue
Devil’s basketball unit and is ranked 25th out
of 360 in her class academically. And she
laments that she wishes she had more time to
devote to her studies! She also spent a semester this spring
as an intern at Northeast Rehabilitation
Hospital, an experience she hopes leads to a
career. "I'm looking to get into physical
therapy in college," said Rastello. "I love
working with people and I think that playing
sports fueled my interest." Girl of
accomplishments Within
the last few months, Salem, NH High School
junior Brianna Rastello: What
they're saying . . . Following are some of the comments in
reviews (on Yahoo.news) of Brianna Rastello's
Children's book "The Adventures of Sam Spike:
The Case of the Missing Man," which she wrote in
the third grade. "An
imaginative story with great illustrations." "... a
wonderful story filled with all the elements of
a mystery novel." "There
should be more books by kids for kids! My
daughter loved the book and it has inspired her
to try and write stories herself. You can't ask
for more than that!" _______________________________________________________________________________ Help us convince Sam to run for President! Email SamSpike@AnExPub.com and put "Run Sam Run!" in the subject line! Then help us raise funds for the campaign by buying Sam's book at AnEx Publications |
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