AMESBURY — Ashley Waters has officially become the star athlete who receives an offer to sign a contract for a professional sports team, and while she's weighing the offer, she is volunteering at her high school coach's annual summer softball clinic.
There was Waters at Amesbury Middle School at 9 a.m. yesterday, teaching pitching mechanics to age-group players alongside Amesbury coach Chris Perry. Waters is without question the best softball player — and perhaps athlete — in Amesbury history. As a senior at the high school in 2005, she posted a 25-1 record as a pitcher, including eight no-hitters and four perfect games. She went on to become one of the greatest softball players in UMaine history, the America East player of the year in 2008. Now all she's doing is hitting .420 and playing second base for a semi-professional team out of Stratford, Conn., the Brakettes, which pushed to 25-1 with a sweep in a New Jersey tournament over the weekend.
Waters' career arc continues to experience more peaks than valleys. She recently received an offer to play professional softball in the Netherlands for the Holland Centrals starting next April. She's likely to accept, but not before she brought home a charge of six Brakette teammates to help instruct Ashley Waters wannabes at the middle school yesterday.
"There's no place I'd rather be than here where it all started," Waters said. "Mr. Perry is someone I admire and love very much. He's more than just a coach. To bring the top pitchers in the country here is something I needed to do for him. He was excited."
Understand that Perry is not one to get excited. The man who has won four state titles and 16 Cape Ann League titles at Amesbury celebrates his biggest wins by letting his players know what time to show up for practice the following day. He's more likely to be accused of falling asleep than earning an ejection for arguing a call.
But even Perry's heart rate started to sound like the drumbeat behind a marching band yesterday when he witnessed the pitching techniques of the Brakette entourage of six that included Baylor standout and Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year Whitney Cannion along with LSU right-hander and Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year Rachele Fico.
"For a lot of us, it's our first experience seeing that kind of velocity live," Perry said. "I've seen it on TV, but to be there and see them actually do it was awesome. They told stories about how hard it was for them when they were kids. That will be something these girls will never forget."
For Waters, that was the whole point.
"Whatever Mr. Perry needs, I try to do," Waters said. "I know the camp has been hurting for numbers. It needs to get back to where it was. Pitching in the CAL is not as strong as it used to be. I'm hoping these girls will see the top two pitchers in the country and get some inspiration."
Of course, Waters' presence alone would have provided ample inspiration. During her days at UMaine, she returned at the end of each fall semester and coached first base for the Amesbury High team. As of December, when she graduated from UMaine, she began coaching a 16U premier softball team, the Wicked, composed of New York and Connecticut players. She's also assisting in opening a new softball-only training facility in Connecticut, Game Day Training.
"She's so loyal," Perry said. "She went to Maine, now she plays for the Brakettes, she might play in Holland, and I'm sure she'll end up coaching at a high level. She'll always be an Amesbury High kid. She's getting a lot out of the game, but she's willing to give back just as much."
As for playing professionally overseas, Waters was originally targeted by the Holland coach, who is looking to fill out a roster with team strength right up the middle of the diamond. Each squad is allowed to sign a maximum of two American players; he's offered contracts to Waters and Brakettes shortstop Mandie Fishback.
Perhaps it's only fitting that softball will take Waters to places she's never seen across the globe. This will be her first trip to the Netherlands. She expects to join the Holland Centrals in April and either play a full season through August or return for part or all of the Brakettes' season. There's no question she'll have one eye on the state of the Amesbury softball program at all times.
"I'm not too nervous about it," Waters said. "I usually adapt very well. I can't wait to wear wooden clogs; I'm excited about that part."
Feel free to pencil in Waters for the annual Amesbury pitching clinic next summer, wooden clogs and all.
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