Today we spotlight a fairly new club team that’s run by a coach, Marc Weekly, with a familiar last name—yes, he’s the son of legendary SEC coach Ralph Weekly and Marc was also a former assistant coach at Tennessee.

His young team is made up of mostly 2019’s and all are getting serious recruiting looks. Only one is committed, but more than half are being recruited by SEC schools and other major conferences around the nation.

For example, at the Scenic City tourney a week weeks ago, over 40 college coaches watched the team’s six games.

Here’s a closer look at the Worth Tennessee Hustle 14U team as we talk to Marc, who also is the head softball coach at The King’s Academy in Seymour, Tennessee…

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FloSoftball: When did the team/program start and how/why did it come to be?
Marc Weekly: Worth Hustle really started with my daughter Regan and her love for the game. Her grandfather is Co-Head Coach Ralph Weekly at the University of Tennessee. I coached at Tennessee for many years and she grew up in the program so it was a natural fit to play softball and wear UT colors. The next step was to surround her with players that displayed the same passion and love for the game and now five years later we’re competing with players from all around the state and at a very high level.

FS: Where are you based and where do your athletes come from?
MW: We’re based out of Knoxville, but we have players from all over Tennessee.

FS: What was the purpose of creating the Hustle, was it to showcase players, win titles, develop skills…
MW: Initially, it was just to have fun and play. As we developed our skills and began winning at the national level we amped it up. Currently the goal is to place all these kids in college programs. We still want it to be fun on a daily basis, but it will become harder as they advance.

FS: What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events?
MW: We finished 17th out of 100 in our first year ASA nationals in Chattanooga. We were the top 2001 team left that year. Last year, at ASA in Bloomington, we finished 7^th out of 78 teams. Our winning percentage as a team is over 92 percent and in the Atlanta Legacy in the fall as a 1^st year 14U team we beat the Birmingham Thunderbolts 00 team 6-2 and the Fury Thomas team 8-1. We also played and beat the Frost Falcons 00 squad 6-2 at Sherry Lee Stadium in the fall.

FS: What, in your opinion, makes the organization unique?
MW: Well, I think our close connection to (the Univ. of) Tennessee softball brings a level of pride to our program. We also do not have much turnover and many of these girls were with us at the start. Being able to coach college and travel is unique in and of itself.

FS: What’s your softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the team?
MW: I have coached softball at the Univ. of Tennessee with Ralph and Karen Weekly and then stepped away and started my own program at The Kings Academy. We finished 2^nd in the state this year in our second year of playing softball. Four of the girls on my high school team play for the Hustle also. I have also been blessed to be honored with two NFCA Regional Coaching Staff awards and was part of six Women’s College World Series appearances with the Vols.

FS: How many teams are there in the organization overall?
MW: Just one.

FS: Has there been a key moment or defining experience in the team’s history?
MW: I think the success we had at Nationals in our first year of 12U and last year in Bloomington. Also the big wins in the fall over some great teams provided legitimacy that we deserve.

FS: What is your primary focus or goal with this team?
MW: To have college coaches attend our games and track and/or offer our players.

FS: What do you think are the strengths of the team?

MW: Hitting and game IQ. We work very hard at the fundamentals of the swing and the situations that happen in tight games. I would say we outhit 95 percent of the teams we play. This is a complement of our team we hear quite often.

FS: If there is one thing you would say that separates you from other club programs, what would it be?
MW: Hitting through the lineup on the field. Off the field, it’s our dedication to making sure these kids are seen and we are blessed to have great resources in the coaching ranks for this. Also, to be on FloSoftball and its top lists would go a long way!

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Here are comments on each player of the Tennessee Hustle from Coach Weekly…

— P/OF Mikeala Chavis (2018, uncommitted)
“Mikeala joined our team in the fall of 2014. She is a big, strong pitcher who throws a solid drop ball and executes her change-up flawlessly. Although quiet by nature, she has tremendous passion and work ethic for the game. In a short amount of time Mikeala has become a big-game pitcher for our team. She is a great contact hitter and has power to all alleys.”

— 1B/RF Sarah Knight (2018, uncommitted)
“Sarah has played for the Worth Hustle since she was 10 years old. She has always had a knack for getting the clutch hit in big situations. Sarah has a great understanding of how to play the outfield and right field specifically. She understands the need to throw out runners and has a great arm.”

— 2B/OF Regan Weekly (2019, uncommitted)
“Regan has been around softball since birth with her dad and grandparents at the University of Tennessee. She has a tremendous softball IQ after years of following the Lady Vols and serving as a batgirl. Regan is a natural leader on our team and is an exceptional clutch hitter who leads both her high school and travel teams in RISP. Regan has the ability from the left side to play a solid short game and she hits for power to all fields. She was selected to join Duke’s Talent Identification Program in the 5^th grade and scored well on the ACT as a 7^th grader.”

— P/1B/OF Madison Webber (2019, committed to Tennessee)
“Madison is an overall exceptional player with great softball knowledge. She hits for both power and average, but can also play the small game because she runs well. Madison is a left-handed pitcher with a very deceptive change-up. She has a strong arm and defensive maturity that is uncommon in players her age.”

— C/3B Rachel Tarpley (2019, uncommitted)
“Rachel has played with the Hustle since 10U. She has a very powerful arm and bat. Her pop time to second base is 1.82. Rachel plays with a great deal of passion and has the ability to go yard on every swing.”

— SS/P/OF Haydyn Jenkins (2019, uncommitted)
“Haydyn is one of those players that does anything you ask of her and does it well. Her versatility allows her to play utility at a number of positions, while also playing shortstop and outfield as good as anybody. Haydyn is a hard throwing pitcher with her fastball clocking at 59-60 mph. At the plate she hits well for both power and average. One of her strengths is the ability to be a two-strike hitter and she understands all game situations.”

— CF/2B Taylor Sanders (2019, uncommitted)
“Taylor is one of the best outfielders I have ever seen at tracking a ball off the bat. She is not afraid to leave her feet and stretch out to make that ‘ESPN catch’ which she has done so many times. While she can hit from the right side for average and power, we’re still a little undecided about Taylor’s slapping abilities. She’s a 2.8 to first from the right side and could be even faster from the left.”

— 1B/OF Abi Ledbetter (2019, uncommitted)
“Abi is a tall, strong left-handed power hitter. She has very quick hands to the ball and hits for exceptional power to all fields. She’s an equally smooth player whether at first or in the outfield. She’s one of those players who will do anything you ask of her and she has a hunger to learn more.”

— C/3B/OF Sydney White (2019, uncommitted)
“Sydney is a rare player because she has such good size, but also has speed and tremendous power. We can play her at a variety of positions without losing any defensive strength. She has raw strength that few players her age possess.”

— SS/C Kalei Harding (2020, uncommitted)
“Kalei is a physical specimen who has a college level arm right now. She has the ability to go deep in the 5-6 hole and throw out all types of runners. She is very clutch at the plate and squares the ball up on a regular basis. Although quiet, she has a tremendous amount of inner confidence and is a great leader on our team.”

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