This spring marks “lucky 13” for Perry Clark, as in the 13th season he has been a coach with the Lady Chiefs’ program. He spent the first 10 years as Assistant Coach before officially taking over the lead role. Known affectionately as “PC,” Clark has helped over 50 student/athletes at Waubonsee continue playing at NCAA and NAIA institutions. Most notable among them are Abbey Ruff (University of Iowa), Heidi Schmitt (Georgia Southern University), Haley Secor (Judson University) and Amanda Balough (Clarke College). With Clark’s assistance, the Lady Chiefs were ranked in the top-25 nationally two out of the last four years and set a school-record for wins in a season (33) in 2006.

Clark’s coaching experience also includes stints at Naperville Central, Oswego and Kaneland High Schools. He is the co-founder of the Northern Illinois Thunder Softball, serving his third year as the organization’s CEO and Advisory Chairman after being President for the previous nine years. Under Clark’s leadership the 16U division Thunder teams have made six USSSA World Series appearances (1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007), placing in the top-20 four times. More than 125 Thunder players have continued playing softball at the collegiate level. In addition, Clark serves as Assistant Area Director for Illinois USSSA Fastpitch Softball and is a Board Member for the Elite Umpire Association (EUA). He conducts and serves as a speaker at various pitching, hitting and fielding camps and clinics locally and statewide.

Coach Clark graduated from Oswego in 1983 and attended Western Illinois University in Macomb. Clark and his wife Linda reside in Sugar Grove, and they have a daughter Abbey who is a sophomore at the University of Iowa. Clark is employed full-time as the Vice President of American Heartland Bank and Trust in Sugar Grove.  

Frank Weese is in his third season with the Chiefs’ coaching staff as the assistant softball coach. Weese again joins forces with Head Coach Perry Clark, with whom he co-founded the Northern Illinois Thunder in 1998. Weese was the organization’s Vice-President and a coach for six years, helping lead the Thunder to three USSSA World Series appearances.

Coach Weese also supervised the total reorganization of Elburn Baseball and Softball in the mid-1990’s, eventually spearheading the formation of a unified league by bringing the autonomous youth programs of Elburn, Sugar Grove, Maple Park, Big Rock and Virgil all together. A true disciple of the game of fast pitch softball, Weese is ASEP certified and was the assistant varsity softball coach at St. Charles East High School for two seasons.

Away from the dugout, Weese was founder and president of Visitec Marketing Associates in St. Charles. After 20 successful years of operation, he sold the business in 2007 and is now retired. Weese and his wife Debby reside in Elburn. They have four grown children, Jennifer (Reuland), Jessica (Pech), Jamie and Daniel.