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05/23/2020 12:00 AMCallie Newberg is a three-sport athlete at Westbrook High School, and she’s never shown any signs of slowing down throughout her four years with the Knights. A senior captain for all three teams, Callie has experienced many positive memories while competing for Westbrook’s girls’ basketball, soccer, and softball squads. These are moments that Callie will never forget.
“I got very close with those girls and am going to miss them so much, but will cherish our memories forever,” says Callie. “My favorite soccer memory was during my sophomore year. We had made it to the State Tournament for the first time in nine years, so it was a great feeling and huge accomplishment. And I have so many great basketball memories. My favorites were the all the times in the locker rooms before games, when we would all get super pumped to play our hearts out.”
Callie and her teammates on the Westbrook softball team were excited to kick off the 2020 campaign prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite the cancellation of the season, Callie knows that she made the most of her four years of high school. Callie enjoyed softball from the second she stepped on the field and says that her passion for sports will remain everlasting.
“I have been playing softball since I was seven years old. I was a very active child. I loved all sports,” Callie says. “I love the thrill of the game, like any sport really. But I just love the feeling you get when you have a good hit up at bat or when you strike out a player.”
Callie’s high school career featured some ups and downs, but she always managed to battle back from any setbacks. Callie dealt with two ACL injuries that sidelined her for her junior softball season, and she would have had to sit out again this year due to another injury. Still, even when she was injured, Callie remained an important presence on the squad.
“Even though I didn’t get to physically play last season, one of my favorite moments was when we had pasta parties or Saturday morning practices,” says Callie. “I was at the end of my physical therapy, so I was able to join some of these challenges that we had during practices. It just made us all laugh, and it felt good to be able to play a little bit of a sport since I wasn’t able to play any sport for seven months.”
Whether it was on the court or the field, Callie practiced as much as possible in order to refine her skills. Callie’s mentality is to practice like you play.
Westbrook girls’ basketball Head Coach Frank Lyon says that Callie showed a lot of heart while working her way back to the court this winter. Lyon describes Callie as the vocal leader of the Knights.
“Callie was a great leader on and off the court. From day one, we knew she was going to be a huge part of this team,” Lyon says. “Callie was a warrior this year, battling through injuries and rehabbing to take the court with her teammates. She’s hands-down one of my favorite athletes I’ve ever coached. She did a great job of paving the way and building a culture for the younger girls.”
Callie displayed great leadership with all three of her teams, earning her the title of senior captain for each of them. Callie played goalie for the soccer team, was a forward on the basketball team, and took the mound as a pitcher with the softball squad. Off the field, Callie is involved in several extra-curricular activities at Westbrook.
“I am a part of the Unified Sports program at my school, and I love it. It has helped me decide to go in the special education field and study at Southern Connecticut State University in the fall,” says Callie. “Also, for Unified Sports, I won The Mike Savage Exemplary Unified Teammate Award. I just love playing all these sports and am going to miss it a lot.”
Callie likes to play music, take photos, and spend time with family and friends in her free time. She plays ukulele, guitar, and percussion, and is a drummer for the Westbrook Junior Colonials Fife and Drum Corp. Callie also enjoys swimming and long-boarding, and has worked as a lifeguard at the local town beach during the summer.
As she reflects upon her career as a Westbrook athlete, Callie appreciates every day that she spent with the Knights.
“What I’m going to miss most is the bond between me and all of my teammates on all of the teams, along with all of my coaches I have had over the years,” says Callie. “I loved being their leader, teammate, and player, and wouldn’t want to play for any other team.”