Coupeville Sports

   Marenna Rebischke-Smith patrols center field for the high-flying Venom. (John Fisken photo)

Rebischke-Smith lashes a base hit.

Don’t ask her to beat up on people, and we’re good.

Marenna Rebischke-Smith enjoys athletics, just not ones that involve her having to elbow people in the face.

“My favorite sport is softball, because it doesn’t involve a lot of physical contact,” she said. “I tried basketball, but didn’t like it because I had to push people.

“I like softball because you can take your anger out on inanimate objects instead of other people.”

Rebischke-Smith, who will be a freshman at CHS in the fall, builds on that, embracing her teammates and pulling them close.

“I enjoy the fact that you have a whole other “family” out on the field,” she said. “I like that you can count on that family to have your back.”

This spring she played center field for the Venom, a Central Whidbey Little League Juniors softball squad which went a sparkling 13-3.

Now playing All-Stars with another team, she’d like to keep the softball express going in high school.

“My whole juniors team had a big impact on me,” Rebischke-Smith said. “I hope to play with them again in high school; they are all very fun and friendly.”

As the season played out, she became a much-more aggressive hitter at the plate, while also making some web gems in the outfield, chasing down balls on the fly several times.

Still, like any good player, she is always looking to improve her game.

“I am definitely not as great as some of my teammates I had in juniors,” Rebischke-Smith said. “But I would like to work to get better and hopefully be as good as they are, if not better.

“I believe I have a pretty strong hit when I have something to hit for, but I would like to improve my hit to have a great hit every time I go up to the plate.”

When she’s not practicing or playing, Rebischke-Smith likes to play the guitar and hang out with friends.

A solid student as well (“my goal for freshman year is to have fun and get my work done and not have to take summer school”), she looks to those she lives with for support and guidance.

“I would say that my dad helped me a lot,” Rebischke-Smith said. “He is always there to help me with my homework and play catch with me; he is really great.

“My mom helped too, even though she works a lot in Seattle. She has been to every one of my games and supported me.”