No matter where Ashley Obrest has been on a softball field — behind the plate catching, in the hole at shortstop or in the dugout coaching — she’s excelled in every phase of a game that she’s dedicated much of her youth and adult life.
A former three-sport standout at Elmwood Park and a Pioneer Press all-area softball selection before graduating in 2003, she went on to play 195 games over her four-year career at Boston College, the fourth-most in program history.
From there, her career turned to coaching softball. She served as an instructor at the White Sox/Bulls Academy and assistant coach at Concordia. Colgate then hired her as an assistant and, two years later, Obrest became the head coach and led the Raiders to the Patriot League title.
After the season, she returned to her alma mater for the 2012 season and guided the Eagles to their first 20-win season in five years.
Now after her fourth season as head coach at Boston College, Obrest is adding another skill to her resume.
She’s training to run the Chicago Marathon in October for the first time. Aside from charity 5K runs with other Eagles coaches on campus, Obrest has never attempted a long-distance race.
“I’m not exactly the type of person that loves to run,” Obrest said. “But it was one of those bucket-list items.”
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Make that an “ice-bucket” list.
She said she was inspired by former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates, who was diagnosed with ALS in March of 2012. He is credited as the creator of the Ice Bucket Challenge that went viral on social media last summer.
The Pete Frates No. 3 Fund to raise money for ALS research is a campaign that the Boston College community has embraced. Obrest hopes to raise $1,500 for the ALS Association’s Greater Chicago chapter in his honor.
“He’s such a great example of what it means (to serve others),” Boston College baseball coach Mike Gambino said. “His family all went to BC, and it’s just such a big part of who he is. He finds out he’s dying, and his reaction is, how can he help other people?”
Obrest began training on June 8.
“We always stress being mentally tough to our kids, so why can’t I do the same thing?” Obrest said.
Embarking on a journey that will span four months and hundreds of miles is being done with the support of her peers. Obrest said she sought the advice of her fellow coaches and members of the business side of the athletic department who had participated in the Boston Marathon.
“I was going for a run and I saw our women’s basketball coach (Erik Johnson),” Obrest said. “I asked him, ‘How did you do this?’ He said, ‘If Oprah can run a marathon, you can too.’ “
Obrest has also received encouragement from her players, she said, and she’s looking for a few willing to go on some of the longer runs with her when they return to campus and begin offseason training.
Running a marathon is an apt metaphor that matches the steady success Boston College has enjoyed since Obrest took the reins. The Eagles finished 30-23 last season. .
“I knew pretty early on that I wanted to be around the game as long as I could,” Obrest said of her passion for coaching. “In this career field, you have to take chances and get out of your comfort zone.
“I knew I didn’t want to sit behind I desk doing computer work. I always felt like I wanted to take on that leadership role.”
Stefan Modrich is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.