By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
DE PERE – Paige Ravet is a senior on the De Pere softball team.
She played volleyball her freshman and sophomore years, but has stuck to being a pitcher for the Redbirds since.
Ravet is hoping for one last opportunity in high school to lace up the spikes before heading to UW-Stevens Point this fall to study elementary education.
“I’ve been staying busy with my online schooling, but I’m disappointed my senior year is being cut short or may be canceled,” said Paige, who is the daughter of Mark and Lesley Ravet. “It would be nice to at least play a few games and experience senior night.”
She plays softball under the leadership of head coach Matt Eakin.
“I love Coach Eakin,” Ravet said. “He’s been the absolute best to play for and cares for us beyond being softball players. He makes sure our mental health is okay and we are keeping up on our schoolwork.”
She used to figure skate like her older sister Emily, but began pitching when she was about 10 years old.
She also has an identical twin sister, Olivia, who’s into singing and dancing.
“She’s older than me by 12 minutes,” said Ravet. “She likes to hold that against me. My dad is from Luxemburg and wrestled all four years in high school. My mom is from Suamico and wasn’t into sports.”
Her most embarrassing softball moment occurred during her junior year on the mound.
“I’m not one to cry,” said Ravet, who describes herself as a leader, outgoing and determined. “I was playing my junior year in the summer, and I got hit in the quad with a line drive and broke down and started crying. Coach Eakin asked if I’d be able to continue or if he needed to have someone else pitch. I told him I’d be fine, but I was extremely embarrassed.”
In 15-20 years, Ravet sees herself as a college graduate, having a family, teaching and probably staying within Wisconsin.
“It’s always been my dream to coach my future kids in softball or baseball,” she said. “That’s been my No. 1 thing and teaching them to go into other sports, too.”
With the immediate future of high school spring sports in Wisconsin hanging in the balance, Ravet said she will look back on her days at De Pere fondly.
“I’ll miss the community feel of De Pere,” she said. “I’ll still have that in my future, but I’ve lived here and gone to school here my whole life. Having familiar faces with everyone and having the support has been nice.”
Ravet said she’d like to be remembered at De Pere as a leader, a positive role model for the underclassmen, someone who is loud and outgoing and can be easily approached to talk to.
Besides softball, she likes pizza, mint chocolate chip ice cream, Christmas, the color purple and summertime.