Her Story
About Ashley
I've been passionate about youth athletics since middle school when I started helping out with my brother's soccer team. Being an athlete myself, I fell into this passion naturally and found it incredibly rewarding to see the progress kids make from the beginning of a season to the end. It's about giving them small lessons in life, making them better people and better athletes, and developing their teamwork and communication skills. As a Type A person, I love planning and being able to look at an athletic program from the standpoint of not only being a coach but also the director. I have the hands-on experience to see what's working and what isn't, and I can get feedback from my athletes and parents to build programs based on their wants and needs, combined with my knowledge of what they should be getting out of it. Working for Rick Tankowski, a family friend and hockey coach, during high school and college gave me my first real taste of program development and team building. He was my biggest inspiration and the basis for many of my college essays. I still reach out to him for advice when applying for jobs. The most rewarding aspect of my career is seeing kids' personal growth and athletic abilities develop, and having them come talk to me about what's going on in their lives. Being a good soundboard and mentor, and then months later having them tell me I was right or that they really enjoyed my advice - if I can reach just one kid a year, that's the most rewarding thing.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ashley
01What do you attribute your success to?
My parents - I know that's such a cliche answer, but if it wasn't for them getting me through elementary and high school and all those long nights of studying and always giving me confidence when I felt like I was failing, I wouldn't be where I am. Even now as an adult, I will call my mom and be like, I feel like everything in life is failing, and she'll just remind me of what I've done and how much more life I still have to live. Outside my parents too, my grandparents have always given me the confidence and support that I really am appreciative of now, though I think I took it for granted when I was younger. It takes a village, and I need that support my whole life.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay strong and hold your ground. If you have a natural instinct or you have a vision, especially because sports is such a man's world, just stick to it and trust your gut feeling. You're gonna fail, but the biggest thing you can do is just get up and re-evaluate why it didn't work. You have to first have confidence in yourself - how can you best navigate the youth and develop them and advocate for them if you don't know how to best advocate for yourself first? You can be any age and still learn something new. Life is about growth, and you're supposed to become a better person as you grow older.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Confidence, having grace, and understanding are most important to me. I try not to be so quick to rush to judgment, but instead take a step back and see things from different points of view, and just have grace with people. You might not always know the situation or that person or what they're going through. It's something I had to learn and adjust as I was growing up, so I really try to instill that into my kids. I still struggle with that in everyday life because we're human, but generally I just try to be a good communicator and a good person. Especially with the Boys and Girls Club, we have so many kids that range from having serious family issues to kids that just have normal day lives, and you don't always see that from the outside.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Massachusetts
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.