Bishop George Ahr High School’s Christine LaRochelle is a three-sport standout for the Trojans, playing volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter and softball in the spring. Softball is her top sport, and she has spent the summer pitching for travel teams and at showcases. She plans on playing softball in college. Hate is a strong emotion to harbor, but it can also be the catalyst for achieving good things. Consider Christine LaRochelle, who will be a senior at Bishop George Ahr High School this fall. Whether studying for a test, shooting a basketball or pitching a softball, she strives for perfection simply because failure isn’t an option.
“I hate being bad at anything, and I will do whatever it takes to succeed,” she said. “I love being busy. I never have free time, and that is awesome for me. I don’t mind squeezing as much as I can into my schedule, as hectic as it is.”
If it seems that LaRochelle is a whirlwind of motion, it’s true. She plays volleyball in the fall, switches to basketball in the winter and then pitches for the softball team in the spring. Since LaRochelle plans to play the latter in college, she devotes most of her offseason to playing travel softball and attending showcase events.
Her zest for sports may overwhelm others, but that’s never been the case with LaRochelle. She believes the nonstop schedule has helped her grow, both personally and as an athlete.
“Playing all those sports has helped me in so many ways,” she said. “A major benefit is I’m in better physical shape. Softball is a fastpaced sport, so when I’m making pitch-afterpitch, it’s very taxing. When I transition to volleyball and basketball, I don’t have to get in ‘running shape.’ Really, the only difference between the sports is the uniform I put on.”
LaRochelle would love to play softball in college, but she hasn’t decided where. Her top priority will be to attend a school that has an outstanding academic reputation and offers a major in engineering.
Her academic success has earned LaRochelle membership in the school’s National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. She has also remained faithful to scouting since she joined as a youngster.
“I received an academic scholarship to Bishop Ahr,” LaRochelle said. “Since I was a freshman, I have been in all honors classes and I will be taking a majority of AP classes my senior year. I have been fortunate to earn As and A+s, and while the work is hard, honestly, balancing academics and athletics is what I do best.”
Both her softball coach, Missy Collazo, and basketball coach, Kevin Harper, marvel at how LaRochelle remains focused playing sports in addition to being an outstanding student. “Christine is a leader on and off the field, and she is a true depiction of a scholar-athlete,” Collazo said. “She challenges herself with honors and AP classes, and still makes time to work at improving her athletic skills. I’ve admired how Christine has matured both physically and mentally as a pitcher over the last two years, and she is now one of the top pitchers in the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC).”
Harper said that LaRochelle wasn’t in the starting five last season when the Trojans finished 15-10 and made the GMC Tournament championship game at the Louis Brown Athletic Center (RAC), before losing to Piscataway Township High School. But once she stepped onto the court, her presence was felt.
“Christine has a great ability to remember plays, and because of her speed and long arms, she is a key defender at the top of our diamond press,” Harper said. “Hopefully, she’ll expand her role this winter.”
LaRochelle is best known for her windmill pitching motion and outstanding control as a member of the Bishop Ahr softball team. Her record on the mound was 12-9, but she demonstrated she should be included among the GMC’s top hurlers by helping her team nearly upset GMC tournament champion Monroe Township High School, 6-5, in the semifinals. LaRochelle was also a valuable offensive player by finishing second in hits with 32 and hitting .381.
“My coaches have been an integral part of my development as an athlete,” she said. “My basketball coach taught me to never give up, even if we’re the underdogs.
“Coach Collazo and her assistant, [Mark] Fiore, helped me grow up, literally and figuratively,” she continued. “I’ve learned to put situations in my own hands and change the outcomes. They have seen me at my best and at my worst, and have helped me become more confident I can go far in my softball career.”
Going to Bishop Ahr, she said, was one of the best decisions she has made in her young life.
“Playing sports at Bishop Ahr have helped me become the person I am today,” LaRochelle said. “I’ve had the opportunity to play three sports, and I feel I’ve become a better leader on and off the field and court.”