Bellarmine women鈥檚 tennis star as impactful off court as she is on it
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BVM) — Bellarmine University senior Ashley Jonathan is used to serving others. Though she mostly does this to start a competition on the tennis court, Jonathan has expanded her services beyond the confines of matches. This May, Jonathan was honored by the International Tennis Association with the Division II women鈥檚 Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. The award, which is given to both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 tennis players at each level of the NCAA as well as the NAIA and JUCO ranks, recognizes individuals who have exhibited sportsmanship and leadership along with strong scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements.
鈥淚t was overwhelming,鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥淚 never won anything this big before so it鈥檚 just very hard for my mind to encompass the whole award because it鈥檚 a national award. 鈥� It wasn鈥檛 something I needed to be noticed for that I was doing this charity work or volunteer work. 鈥� I never thought it would go beyond the walls of the charities I was donating to with my team or Bellarmine.鈥�
Congrats Ashley Jonathan… national winner of ITA's Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award!!! Well deserved honor, read full release here:
— Bellarmine Athletics (@BUKnights)
Jonathan, who is currently enrolled in summer courses at the university, was in a class when the online awards show was taking place. When her name was read as the winner, it caused a memorable reaction for both her and her parents who were watching from their home in Colorado with her brothers.
鈥淚 was watching the announcements and I started crying during one of my calls,鈥� Jonathan said with a laugh. 鈥淢y teachers were emailing me saying, 鈥楢re you OK? Is it too much?鈥� and I was like 鈥楴o, I just got an award!鈥� … My family was watching from Colorado and they had it on the big screen and my brother sent me a video of my mom and dad screaming from on top of the couch and that made me really emotional too. They were really happy.鈥�
Arthur Ashe was once quoted saying, 鈥淭rue heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.鈥� Much like the person whose name is enshrined on her trophy, Jonathan has that similar urge to help serve others at whatever cost.
The need to help others has been an ingrained part of Jonathan鈥檚 DNA for so long that she doesn鈥檛 truly know where it came from. Stories like ones of a younger Jonathan asking her dad if he would ever convert the garage into a makeshift homeless shelter with beds and food to her grandmother losing her in the grocery store because she ran to help an older worker stock soup cans on shelves are commonplace among the Jonathan family. It was never something she learned, though she may have improved how to help over the years, but rather her understanding the need to help fellow humans who she recognized had less than she did.
鈥淚 just think it鈥檚 natural,鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥淚 feel like that鈥檚 just always been my personality. I love giving. I love seeing people鈥檚 reactions when I鈥檓 giving to them. 鈥� I just think it鈥檚 the best thing to do is to see someone else鈥檚 day brightened.鈥�
Early in her career at Bellarmine, Jonathan made it a point to give back to those in need. One of these services spawned when Jonathan traveled with the team to matches across the country. As the team traveled, Jonathan saw an opportunity to provide to those less fortunate by encouraging her teammates to save any of the hotel’s complimentary soaps, shampoos and other personal care supplies so they could distribute them to those in need. The team then brought the items back to the school and at the end of each season placed them into baskets they decorated before bringing them to nearby Louisville care facilities.聽
鈥淚 thought my parents collect soaps for when we have guests or family members coming over or just visiting so why not give those soaps to people who really, really need them at homeless shelters,鈥� Jonathan said.
This included one year where, for Christmas, the team filled leftover boxes from a previous donation with small gifts and wrapped them as Christmas presents.聽
鈥淲e put Christmas wrapping paper over the shoe boxes,鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥淲e went to a Dollar Tree and bought gloves, hand warmers, water, granola bars like everything we could think of. We dropped those off at the homeless shelter and it was like Christmas presents even if they didn鈥檛 celebrate Christmas. It was holiday gifts I guess.鈥�
This wasn鈥檛 the only opportunity Jonathan found to help others. At one point during her time at Bellarmine, Jonathan noticed a teammate鈥檚 car was filled with 鈥渦nserviceable鈥� tennis shoes for competition. The teammate had no intention to throw them away, but wouldn鈥檛 use them in the sport either and so Jonathan went out to find a place to donate her shoes and any other Bellarmine tennis players鈥� who would give them.聽
鈥淭hat started the whole men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 team donating all their 鈥榥on-compete-able鈥� tennis shoes,鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e expensive and they still look really nice. You can probably walk in them and they鈥檒l probably last three or four years after.鈥�
Jonathan generated a shoe drive for both the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 programs and was able to gather over 80 pounds of shoes to donate to Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based charity that collects new and used shoes and redistributes them.
One of the most memorable moments of Jonathan鈥檚 giving came just this year when she gave a soap donation to St. John鈥檚, a shelter for homeless men in Louisville. Jonathan, who typically doesn鈥檛 see the reactions of the people who receive her donations, had to hand deliver the packages due to the restrictions of COVID-19 and what she experienced was unforgettable.
鈥淚鈥檒l never forget this man鈥檚 reaction because he started crying,鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥淗e was about to hug me and he had his arms out and then he started flailing his arms because he was like 鈥業 just want to hug and kiss you right now because you don鈥檛 understand how much I love taking a shower every day.鈥� I take showers three times a day and don鈥檛 even think about it. It kind of really puts your life into perspective.鈥澛�
As if this wasn鈥檛 enough work for the student-athlete, Jonathan also had her hand in numerous smaller community programs including volunteering for the Rising Stars program by giving tennis lessons to disadvantaged youth in the city as well as Make-A-Wish Foundation and Breast Cancer Awareness.
Jonathan understands that none of her good deeds could鈥檝e been done alone. Though she was the one who helped to organize the charity efforts, Jonathan credits her teammates for all the work they did to help those in need as well and hopes she has inspired them to go out and do it more on their own as well.
Jonathan understands that none of her good deeds could鈥檝e been done alone. Though she was the one who helped to organize the charity efforts, Jonathan credits her teammates for all the work they did to help those in need as well and hopes she has inspired them to go out and do it more on their own as well.
鈥淓ven (my teammates) can see the big impact now just by getting this award they saw how much they helped too,鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥淚 have to give them credit for helping, even though I was leading it, they helped out so much. I鈥檓 hoping to give it to an undergrad so they can start facilitating it and it keeps the tradition going when I鈥檓 not there.鈥�
On top of all her work off the court, Jonathan was also able to keep her academic and athletic careers at a high level. As the team鈥檚 No. 1 singles player this past season, Jonathan compiled a 12-5 record with three of those losses coming against Division I competition and the other two to Division II All-Americans. Perhaps more impressively was Jonathan鈥檚 play in doubles this season where she and her partner, Ava Ratcliff, went 17-1 on the season.聽
On top of all her work off the court, Jonathan was also able to keep her academic and athletic careers at a high level. As the team鈥檚 No. 1 singles player this past season, Jonathan compiled a 12-5 record with three of those losses coming against Division I competition and the other two to Division II All-Americans. Perhaps more impressively was Jonathan鈥檚 play in doubles this season where she and her partner, Ava Ratcliff, went 17-1 on the season.聽
Jonathan鈥檚 singles win total currently sits at No. 2 all-time in program history with 140, eight shy of the school record, solidifying her status as one of the best Knights players to take the court. When she approaches the record, Jonathan expects nothing less than a bandwagon of support and a lot of emotions.
鈥淚f I beat that record, there鈥檚 going to be a lot of people,鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥淎t the point where it becomes a one match possibility, my whole family is just going to be following me. It鈥檚 going to be a lot of pressure, but the odds are in my favor of at least getting eight wins out of a full season. 鈥� It will be amazing to surpass that goal.鈥�
Well on her way to breaking the record this year, Jonathan was told the news that all senior athletes had to endure, COVID-19 abruptly ending their season. It was something the Indianapolis native didn鈥檛 want to believe and she couldn鈥檛 contain her disappointment.
鈥淚 was holding onto every hope it wouldn鈥檛 be (canceled),鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥淚 immediately started crying. 鈥� It鈥檚 like a boulder hit. I never expected my tennis to be taken away from me. Tennis has always been something I鈥檝e been able to rely on when I鈥檓 stressed or when I鈥檓 sad. I鈥檝e always had my ability to play tennis and that was stripped away from me.鈥�
Jonathan understood the decision, even though it hurt. As her coach said 鈥業f quitting tennis saves a life, it is 100% worth it鈥� and Jonathan admittedly agreed with him. But fortunately for Jonathan, the NCAA passed a decision for spring athletes to become eligible for one additional year, opening the door for her to finish her career on her terms.
鈥淚t was a roller coaster of emotions,鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥�2020 I know has been crazy for everyone, but this has really been a roller coaster of emotions for me.鈥�
The senior finished her undergraduate degree in exercise science this past spring and graduated Summa Cum Laude to boot. Jonathan will continue her work in the classroom as she is currently enrolled in the school鈥檚 doctorate of physical therapy three-year program.聽
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 an easy decision though,鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥淛ust because I got the eligibility I was extremely happy, but then I was like 鈥極h shoot, I have to make a decision.鈥� PT school is going to be so rigorous and I have seen that just in the summer session so I know it鈥檚 not going to be easy. 鈥� I鈥檓 really happy about it, but I鈥檓 also very nervous about it, but we鈥檒l see. I鈥檓 doing it.鈥�
Though her courseload is expected to increase tremendously, Jonathan sees it as just another hurdle for her to face.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot of moments in my life and my family鈥檚 life where things have come up and obstacles have come up and if you have faith, if you have confidence and self-esteem and that in yourself a lot of the things people think they can鈥檛 get done or can鈥檛 do they can do,鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥淎lthough it鈥檚 a hard decision I love tennis. I love PT school. 鈥� I need that proper closure for a tennis season.鈥�
Before the senior leaves the program, Jonathan wants to be sure that the work done by herself and her team does not fall off just because she is no longer there. Jonathan met with the school鈥檚 assistant athletic director to discuss how the charitable benefits of the program can continue as well as how the school may find ways to expand their aid through other athletic programs.
鈥淲e鈥檝e talked about doing (the shoe drive) for all teams,鈥� Jonathan said. 鈥淭he basketball team because specifically basketball shoes are very expensive and they get new shoes all the time. Baseball, softball, soccer all the teams are going to start doing it which is really exciting. I鈥檒l see if it鈥檚 being implemented because I鈥檓 returning for my fifth year and my goal is to at least educate my peers.鈥�
Jonathan is humbled and honored by the award she received, but it was never about any recognition by any panel of people or organization. It was always about just giving what she could, whenever she could, to those who needed it. In the end, it鈥檚 about sending the message that anybody can do what she does, she is just a human being like anyone else.
