Softball Coaching Staff
Known affectionately as "PC," this spring is Clark's 14th year with Waubonsee's program.
Perry Clark, Head Coach
Known affectionately as “PC,” this spring is Perry Clark’s 15th season with the program. He spent the first 10 years as Assistant Coach before officially taking over the lead role. With Clark’s assistance the Lady Chiefs have become a perennial power, ranking in the top-25 nationally three of the last six years. Last spring his squad captured the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference title for the second time during his tenure, going 11-1 in league play. The Lady Chiefs also set a school-record for wins in a season with 43 overall, and reached the Region IV Division II Championship game for the first time in school history. Along the way, his team shattered several school records including marks for runs-batted-in and home runs.
Clark has helped over 60 student/athletes at Waubonsee continue playing at NCAA and NAIA institutions, most notably Abbey Ruff (University of Iowa), Heidi Schmitt (Georgia Southern University), and 2011 NJCAA All-American Lauren Vitiello (Wisconsin-Parkside).
Clark’s coaching experience began with stints at Naperville Central, Oswego and Kaneland High Schools. He is a co-founder of the Northern Illinois Thunder Softball (an “A” travel program), serving as the organization’s President, Advisory Chairman and currently CEO for the past 15 years. Clark has helped foster the program into an Illinois “power house” at all age levels. Under Clark’s leadership the 16U division Thunder teams have made eight USSSA World Series appearances (1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2011), placing in the top-20 six times including finishing 9th this past summer. More than 125 Thunder players have continued playing softball at the collegiate level.
In addition, Clark serves as an Executive Board Member for Illinois USSSA Fastpitch Softball and is an Advisory 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. Clark also serves as a volunteer for several local non-profit groups.
Clark and his wife Linda reside in Sugar Grove, while daughter Abbey is graduating from the University of Iowa this spring. Clark is employed full-time as the Vice President of American Heartland Bank and Trust in Sugar Grove. When not around a softball diamond, Clark enjoys time with friends golfing or with family boating and fishing at their summer lake home in Iowa.Elyse Nelson, Assistant Coach
Elyse Nelson joins the Waubonsee coaching staff this spring after a stellar prep and collegiate softball career. She was a four-year varsity starter at the University of Wisconsin at Steven's Point (UWSP), where she set several season and career hitting records. Nelson also pitched for the Pointers, and will undoubtedly draw on that experience of playing multiple positions to assist this year’s Lady Chiefs.
Nelson is a 2007 graduate of Batavia High School where she was a National Honor Society member and a three year varsity starter as a pitcher and first baseman. She was twice named All- Conference and All Area for the Bulldogs, while also earning the most dedicated Bulldog Award in her sophomore year. Nelson started playing competitive travel softball prior to that for the U-14 Batavia Blue Devils. She later went on to star for the U-18 Wasco Diamonds, the 2008 ASA Northern National Champion U-18 Bartlett Silver Hawks, and more recently with the Northern Illinois Thunder 18 and over team.
Nelson graduated in 2011 from UWSP with a degree in Interior Architecture. On the diamond she was the Pointers’ Team Captain for two years, and earned the Pointer Award her sophomore year for her dedication and commitment to the program and the sport. As a junior, Nelson received the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Good Sportsmanship Award. She capped off her UWSP career by earning All-WIAC First Team honors as a senior, leading the Pointers in nearly every offensive category including batting average, home runs, doubles, runs batted in, and slugging percentage.
Joe Spitzzeri, Volunteer Assistant Coach
Joe Spitzzeri joins the Lady Chiefs’ coaching staff this season, but he is no stranger to Waubonsee’s softball program. He is a founding father, coach and past Vice President of the Northern Illinois Thunder’s softball program, of which head coach Perry Clark currently is the organization’s CEO and Advisory Chairman.
Spitzzeri graduated from Gordon Tech High School in Chicago, where he played baseball on two Catholic League championship teams. He went on to pitch in college at the University of Illinois – Chicago. Spitzzeri has coached softball with the Northern Illinois Thunder for 13 seasons, helping lead the 18 & over squad to a 5th place finish nationally in 2005 and 12th in 2007 at the USSSA World Series. His teams also won the Consolation Championship at the USSSA Illinois State Championship Tournament in 2005, and took 3rd Place at the same tournament in 2007.
Spitzzeri served six years as the Varsity Softball Assistant at Kaneland High School, helping guide the Knights to four conference (2002-2005), two regional (2002-2003) and one sectional title (2003). He was also the Varsity Boy’s Basketball Assistant for six years, Sophomore Boy’s Head Coach for two years and the Assistant for three years. In addition, Spitzzeri has been a basketball head coach at the elementary and middle school level since 1997. His Kaneland Cagers’ squads have won four titles and reached the Final Four seven times, while competing in the Rural Kane County Basketball League and West Suburban Basketball Association High School Feeder League. Spitzzeri is a certified coach by the American Sports Academic Society.
