West Newsmagazine 11-13-19
Local news, local politics and community events for West St. Louis County Missouri.
Local news, local politics and community events for West St. Louis County Missouri.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
34 I SPORTS I<br />
November <strong>13</strong>, 20<strong>19</strong><br />
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE<br />
Chesterfield Baseball/Softball<br />
2020 Player & Team Registraton<br />
premier sports complex<br />
fewer rainouts • no work duty<br />
Ages 5-7<br />
TRAINING<br />
LEAGUE<br />
$<strong>13</strong>0/player<br />
10 GAMES<br />
APRIL - JULY<br />
5U Baseball Coach Pitch<br />
6U-7U Baseball Machine Pitch<br />
5U-6U Softball Coach Pitch<br />
7U Softball Machine Pitch<br />
Age eligibility,<br />
League Details<br />
& Registration Information<br />
Available at<br />
www.cbsasports.com<br />
REGISTRATION<br />
DEC. 1 – JAN. 31<br />
New Issue<br />
Ages 8-14<br />
AMERICAN<br />
LEAGUE<br />
$145/player<br />
12 GAMES<br />
APRIL – JULY<br />
8U MACHINE PITCH<br />
UMPIRES NEEDED<br />
• Must be at least 14 years of age<br />
• male & female umpires needed<br />
• starting pay: $25/game<br />
• no experience necessary<br />
• umpire training starts in feb.<br />
info at cbsaumpires.com<br />
Local like a tourist. <br />
On Newsstands Mid tour-st.com -September<br />
R&R Ranch<br />
Annie Gunn’s<br />
Michael Staenberg<br />
st<br />
st. louis | st. charles<br />
New Issue On News Stands<br />
Mid-September<br />
Pickup a FREE copy at area<br />
Schnucks, Dierbergs and 400+ news stands!<br />
By WARREN MAYES<br />
After a year of hospitalization and recovery<br />
following a car crash last May, senior<br />
and outside hitter Fiona Lazzaretti was<br />
able to return to the volleyball court with<br />
her teammates and coach for Lafayette’s<br />
Senior Night. At the event, she walked the<br />
court with her mother, Deborah, and father,<br />
Victor, on each arm.<br />
“It was nice to get on the court,” Fiona<br />
said. “I was kind of emotional, getting back<br />
on the court in some way after being off of<br />
it for so long.”<br />
Lafayette coach Zach Young was also<br />
happy to see her attend the event.<br />
“The crowd gave her a big applause with<br />
many knowing her story and knowing how<br />
special it was to have her in uniform that<br />
night,” he said. “There were lots of tears<br />
from teammates, coaches, parents and<br />
friends in the stands.”<br />
After a major vehicle accident put Fiona<br />
in the hospital last spring, there were some<br />
doubts that would be able to take part in<br />
the big night.<br />
It began May 5, 2018, with Fiona celebrating<br />
her Show Me Volleyball Academy<br />
club team’s 17U bid for the USA Volleyball<br />
Girls Junior National Championship.<br />
While Fiona’s parents drove home from the<br />
celebration, she and her siblings, Eliza and<br />
Victor, opted to drive back together. About<br />
20 minutes later, Deborah received a phone<br />
call from her son that they had been in a<br />
head-on collision on Hwy. 109 less than<br />
1 mile away from their home. While her<br />
siblings escaped the car with broken bones<br />
and injuries, Fiona was trapped inside.<br />
“I began running down my drive and<br />
headed south on 109,” Deborah said. “I<br />
made so many deals with God all the way<br />
@WESTNEWSMAG<br />
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM<br />
Lafayette's Lazzaretti rejoins team<br />
after horrific car crash<br />
Fiona Lazzaretti with her parents Deborah<br />
and Victor at St. Joseph’s Senior Night.<br />
[Photo provided by parents]<br />
The car Fiona Lazzaretti was riding in on May<br />
5, 2018. [Photo provided by parents]<br />
down that road. I called 9<strong>11</strong> and told them<br />
there was a terrible accident.”<br />
First-responders had to cut the vehicle’s<br />
door off and used chains to pull the front<br />
end out. Fiona suffered immense blood<br />
loss and was airlifted to Mercy Hospital.<br />
“There is nothing like the image of<br />
[medics] loading your child into the back<br />
of a helicopter,” Deborah said.<br />
Fiona’s right femur, right humerus, tibia<br />
and fibula were broken. She also suffered<br />
a left Lisfranc fracture and nerve impairment.<br />
Her spleen was also leaking.<br />
Fiona went to ICU that night and into<br />
surgery the next day. She was eventually<br />
transferred to the Ranken Jordan Pediatric<br />
Bridge Hospital in Maryland Heights for<br />
additional treatment. She was in a wheelchair<br />
until the end of June.<br />
“We had a ramp built in the house and<br />
she went to therapy three times a week for<br />
two hours,” Deborah said. “You cannot<br />
imagine how hard she worked.”<br />
Recovery has been an uphill journey.<br />
“I can walk. It’s getting better,” Fiona<br />
said. “It probably hit me in the middle of<br />
the summer that I wouldn’t be playing.<br />
Nerve damage takes a long time to heal.<br />
The doctors told me I wouldn’t heal in time<br />
for the season. It was a bad day.”<br />
Fiona’s hospitalization didn’t stop her<br />
teammates and classmates from visiting.<br />
“We have pictures of the room full of students<br />
laying on the floor and beds spending<br />
time with Fiona,” Deborah said.<br />
When her club team went to the national<br />
tournament, Fiona was in a knee scooter.<br />
She has also attended every one of Lafayette’s<br />
games except one.<br />
“I know this is not how she thought her<br />
senior year would be, but she has the heart<br />
of a lion and continues to fight,” Deborah<br />
said. “All the players were hugging her and<br />
crying at Senior Night when she was out<br />
on the court. We are so proud of her and her<br />
determination.”<br />
Fiona also played basketball at Lafayette<br />
but won’t return to play this winter.<br />
“I’m out. I’ll go and watch,” she said.
Change language