A League of Their Own, IRL

Jeneane (DesCombes) Lesko

Photo courtesy of the AAGPBL Players Association

About her: Jeneane played two years as a pitcher for the Grand Rapids Chicks until the League was disbanded, then played two years on the traveling team. Jeneane graduated from Ohio Northern University and then spent four years teaching Math and Science to dependent children at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico, where she learned to play golf, fly a piper cub airplane, and swim. Afterwards, Jeneane moved to Europe and spent three years teaching in France before moving on to the Philippines, and finally back to the U.S. in 1967, where she became a professional golfer in the LPGA and played in the US Open. She ultimately settled in Seattle with her husband and three sons, working in real estate and officiating in basketball, volleyball, and softball.  In 2003, she started the Washington Women’s Baseball Association in her state and coached and served on the board for three years. These days, she plays on a co-ed senior softball team.

Best advice: Don’t let anyone discourage you if you are not a super-star. It is really not as much fun at the top. Where else can you go from there?