Third Time’s the Charm

West Ashley High School sophomore Ashley Jones has been playing softball for the Wildcats since she was in 7th grade, and she’s been playing Varsity since she was in eighth.
Although WAHS lost in the third round of Playoffs, ending the season, Jones said she felt she played well during her last game. “She ended the year with a .413 batting average and was also named All-Region 7 4A,” says Varsity Softball Coach Robert Marion. This was the second year in a row that Jones was named All-Region in softball.
Jones also plays golf and throws for the track team at West Ashley. She was named All-Region in golf and she got to compete at State. In track, Jones finished third at Regionals and 14th in State for shot put. Despite her success in other sports, Jones says softball is her favorite. “I grew up playing it, and I just love it. It gets me out, and makes me happy,” says Jones. She started playing when she was just three. Her dad signed her up in a recreational league, and by the time she was ten, she was playing travel ball.
In addition to playing three sports, being the bookkeeper for the girls’ Varsity basketball team, and maintaining good grades, Jones is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). On the rare occasion she does not have anything else to do, she says she enjoys fishing and going to the beach.
Despite the amount of free time she sacrifices for sports, she doesn’t seem bothered by it. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” says Jones. Her dedication and spirit is very inspiring and motivating.
Every week during softball season, Jones spends six days a week practicing. In the offseason, she spends about three days a week practicing by herself. She mostly practices blocking drills and staying low. “It helps in a game because you never know what you’re going to get,” says Jones. “Ashley has worked hard to improve her game, and has really worked hard on the defensive skills behind the plate,” says Marion. “She has a lot of potential as a softball player to play on the next level,” says Marion.
Jones does plan to play softball in college; her main goal is to be a Division I athlete. She’s not sure which school she’d like to attend, but since she’s only a sophomore, she still has two years to decide. She also wants to pursue a career in sports management. “I want to stay involved in sports as much as possible,” says Jones.