Sisters help power Barrington basketball

Ceseretti family displays impressive basketball IQ

BY MANUEL C. “MANNY” CORREIRA
Posted 1/11/18

As you motor up a slight incline on Alfred Drive on an extremely cold winter afternoon, an outdoor basketball standard and hoop is squarely in view in front of the home of Mark and Karen Ceseretti. …

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Sisters help power Barrington basketball

Ceseretti family displays impressive basketball IQ

Posted

As you motor up a slight incline on Alfred Drive on an extremely cold winter afternoon, an outdoor basketball standard and hoop is squarely in view in front of the home of Mark and Karen Ceseretti. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone considering that basketball plays an integral part in the lives of their four very talented daughters.

Sisters Bella, Patsy, Grace and Dani Ceseretti have carved out quite a basketball reputation for themselves locally, and for the two youngest members of the family, Grace and Dani, the family’s basketball pedigree continues to flourish.

Older sisters Bella and Patsy were stars on Barrington’s Middle and High School hoop teams earlier, and now their younger siblings are picking up where they left off.

“Our girls love basketball,” beams Karen Ceseretti. “In fact, they thoroughly enjoy competing in a number of sports.”

Since their Barrington High School days, Bella, 17, and Patsy, 16, have excelled in basketball and soccer at Northfield Mount Hermon School, a college prep boarding and day school in Mount Hermon, Mass. They say the transition has been smooth.

“It’s a different experience for us,” says Bella, who suffered two severe knee injuries earlier. She still competes in basketball, after playing three sports (basketball, soccer, and running track) in high school.

Patsy Ceseretti loves basketball and is an accomplished goalie in soccer. She said playing sports in her native Barrington has been a plus.

“This is a great community,” she noted. “It was a lot of fun. The teams I played on here were all great.”

“Basketball keeps the girls structured,” says Karen Ceseretti, who like her husband, have carefully guided their children every step of the way. “We love having four daughters. It’s been very gratifying watching them continue to grow and improve.”

Although Bella and Patsy have other long-range career goals in mind, Grace, 14, and Dani, 11, are enjoying their roles on this year’s Barrington Middle School girls’ basketball team.

“My older sisters loved playing for Coach (Mike) Topazio, and Dani and I feel the same,” said Grace, a smooth-as-silk shooter with great court sense. “Coach Topaz has been such a great coach and well-respected by everyone on the team.”

Grace, an eighth-grader, has been the catalyst on this year’s Lady Eagles squad, averaging close to 20 points per game and setting the tempo offensively. Meanwhile, Dani, who despite being one of the newest members of the team as a sixth-grader, has shown signs that she will be a valuable asset in future years.

BMS Head Coach Mike Topazio admits having helped these four sisters improve their game “has been a real pleasure.”

“In my 6th season now at Barrington Middle School, I have had the privilege of coaching many fine young girls,” he explained. “They have all contributed to what is a Connecticut Lady Huskies-like 87-13 record over that time. I have had so many excellent players and young ladies, but the one constant during all those years have been the Ceseretti sisters, Bella, Patsy, Grace and now Dani. What this family has accomplished in six years is incredible.”

He continued, “How many families can claim they have won 87 of 100 games? Three Division Championships with number four more than likely being added this year. They have been to four Final Fours, and three State Title games. With Grace and Dani owning a 6-0 record (through games played last week) and sporting one of only four undefeated records in the state, a fifth Final Four and a fourth state title game is well within their grasp.”

Coach Topazio says he’s been fortunate to have had so many quality players throughout his tenure at the school.

“Starting with Bella, who along with Patsy, led BMS to their first state title games in school history in back-to-back years, and now with eighth-grader Grace and sixth-grader Dani leading this year's team, I as a coach could not ask for a more talented quartet, and more than that, just such great kids," he said. 

"Karen and Mark have done such a wonderful job raising these four young ladies and should be so proud of what they have become. They are all respectful, talented, and very good students. I only hope that I have in some way helped them develop and understand the game and relayed my love of the game to them. Six years with the Ceserettis, with still two more to go with Dani. Eight continuous years of one family might be unprecedented...lucky me.”

Even BMS assistant coach Corey Aguiar marvels at this family basketball IQ.

“These are very special, talented kids,” he said. “It’s fun being around them and watching them develop their basketball skills.”

Basketball is embedded deep in this family’s makeup (as a matter of fact, they were all headed out to a URI game following this interview).

“We love this game,” said Mark Ceseretti. “Following our daughters has made it even more fun and enjoyable. We’re very proud of them.”

All four sisters have incredible upside to their game, especially, Grace, who isn’t afraid to shoot for the stars.

Someday, my choice is to play Division 1 basketball,” she confirmed. “Maybe, Northeastern or maybe, even at UConn. It’s a dream, I know, but you might as well set the bar high.”

All four girls are a great credit, not only to their family and the schools they represent, but the community at large. That outdoor basketball hoop, even in the dead of winter, is a subtle reminder that hard work and dedication always pays off in the end.

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