Weber State University Athletics
Photo by: Robert Casey
Henderson Finds Home in WSU's Excellent Environment
4/29/2022 10:00:00 AM | Softball
in the Arizonan mountains, about an hour and a half's drive north of Phoenix, lies the city of Payson: population of just over 16,000. While the term "middle of nowhere" can sometimes be overused, it very well might be applicable in Payson's case. It's an hour away from virtually anything, and it also happens to be the stomping grounds of Weber State superstar pitcher/infielder Arissa Henderson.
It was at Payson High School where Henderson and her super-athletic family honed their skills and love for sports. Henderson not only played in but starred in three different sports in high school. She was a big-time competitor and a letter winner in basketball, soccer, and softball. She even said that softball wasn't her first love. Basketball was her passion, her love for hoops drove her to quitting softball for a summer despite being more naturally gifted as a softball player.
"If I didn't play softball, I probably would have tried to play basketball in college somewhere," Henderson said, somewhat casually. Her talent at softball couldn't be overlooked, though. Despite playing in a smaller school in Arizona, Henderson still garnered enough attention to win the Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, as a pitcher. It was just as clear then as it is now that she possesses special softball talent.
Henderson, who graduated high school in 2016 and is currently finishing up her sixth and final year of collegiate eligibility, was being recruited by schools prior to the present NCAA recruiting rules being in place. At the time, in theory, colleges could have talked to and recruited kids of any age. For Henderson, the recruiting process was easy, straight-forward, and done very early. Nearly her whole family has some sort of tie to BYU sports, so when the Cougars came calling when Henderson was just in eighth grade, she verbally committed.
At BYU, Henderson had the chance to play softball with both her older and younger sisters. Her pressure-packed time at BYU wasn't always easy but it was full of plenty of
success. Henderson showed some of her brilliance as a freshman in 2017. She finished the year with an 11-3 record and a 2.81 ERA.
As a freshman.
The following season was full of heartbreak. She was knocked out for the entire season with a stress fracture in her ribs, the pull of her core muscles away from her ribcage wore her down and fractured the bones. She unknowingly played with broken ribs for a month, then she remembered pitching in a game in Hawaii and asked her coaches to pull her out because she couldn't breathe.
She put in the work, she rehabbed, and the bounce-back was superhuman.
The 2019 season was a career highlight for Arissa. She was mashing at the dish and spinning gems in the circle en route to being named West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week three separate times. The season culminated with Henderson being selected to the All-WCC First Team and winning the WCC Pitcher of the Year.
She balled out.
She continued to pitch incredibly well throughout her two other seasons, but something was missing for Henderson. Something irked her, to the point where she considered leaving the sport on several different occasions.
She just wasn't having fun.
At the end of the 2021 season, Henderson had already graduated with a degree in family studies from BYU and she still had a year of eligibility left, but persistent injuries and playing in an environment that was constantly intense and full of pressure took a mental toll on her. She considered stepping away from the game and throwing away her final year of eligibility.
Almost immediately after the 2021 season, some of Henderson's teammates and friends who had transferred and taken their extra year at a different school started getting in the pitcher's ear and planting the seed that she should try a different school. Henderson's father also mentioned that she could look at going back to school and getting involved in the medical field.
That's when the wheels really started turning.
In her research, she saw that Weber State would be a great academic fit for her. She also knew WSU's assistant coaches Kristin Delahoussaye, Kevin Jensen, and Emilee Erickson, all of whom coached or played with Henderson at BYU. Arissa put her name into the transfer portal so that she could officially talk to the Wildcat coaches.
The pitch that got Henderson to put her name on the dotted line: You're going to be in school, anyway, so come play softball just for fun. No pressure.
Music to Henderson's ears.
She came to Weber State, and it's safe to say that she has had a good time. When she was asked to describe the 2022 Wildcat softball team in one word, her response was, "fun."
"The team brings good energy and they want everybody to succeed," Henderson mentioned. "They try to not take it too serious. It's a game that we get to play. Have fun with it while you're playing well, but there is no need to be stressed out and try to be perfect. Just have fun."
Henderson, who can be hyper-competitive at times - just watch her when she plays "Ticket to Ride" - found the perfect environment for her. When asked if Weber State has lived up to the recruiting pitch that convinced her to sign, she responded, "Yes, for sure. I think it's been better than I thought it would have been."
When Henderson was asked for a favorite memory up to this point of the season, she talked about how special the win over Texas A&M was. Henderson got the start in the circle for WSU, and only got two runs of run support, but that happened to be enough.
She threw a complete-game one-hitter in a 2-1 victory. It was Weber State's first-ever victory over an SEC team. Hopefully, there are plenty more memories for Henderson along the way.
At this point of the season, it's certainly safe to say that Henderson is one of the most talented players in Wildcat history. She's having a historic season and posting all kinds of gaudy numbers in the circle and at the dish. It seems like every time she takes the field, something magical is about to happen. In her lone season at Weber State, she's had the kind of impact that will last for generations, and she will go down as a Wildcat legend.
Mary Kay Amicone proudly stated of her superstar, "Arissa is a phenomenal talent and an even better person. We are very happy that she found a home with us to finish her career. Arissa is an amazing teammate and player. She is a humble and fierce competitor."
As for Henderson, she said that she wants people to remember her as a competitor. "I love to compete," she said. "I wanted to be a good teammate. That's a big thing. I wanted to be a good person and to be remembered for enjoying the game."
As much fun as Henderson has had playing at Weber State this season, WSU fans might have had more fun watching her. She may not have spent her entire career in Ogden, but she'll always have a home at Weber State.
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It was at Payson High School where Henderson and her super-athletic family honed their skills and love for sports. Henderson not only played in but starred in three different sports in high school. She was a big-time competitor and a letter winner in basketball, soccer, and softball. She even said that softball wasn't her first love. Basketball was her passion, her love for hoops drove her to quitting softball for a summer despite being more naturally gifted as a softball player.
"If I didn't play softball, I probably would have tried to play basketball in college somewhere," Henderson said, somewhat casually. Her talent at softball couldn't be overlooked, though. Despite playing in a smaller school in Arizona, Henderson still garnered enough attention to win the Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, as a pitcher. It was just as clear then as it is now that she possesses special softball talent.
Henderson, who graduated high school in 2016 and is currently finishing up her sixth and final year of collegiate eligibility, was being recruited by schools prior to the present NCAA recruiting rules being in place. At the time, in theory, colleges could have talked to and recruited kids of any age. For Henderson, the recruiting process was easy, straight-forward, and done very early. Nearly her whole family has some sort of tie to BYU sports, so when the Cougars came calling when Henderson was just in eighth grade, she verbally committed.
At BYU, Henderson had the chance to play softball with both her older and younger sisters. Her pressure-packed time at BYU wasn't always easy but it was full of plenty of
success. Henderson showed some of her brilliance as a freshman in 2017. She finished the year with an 11-3 record and a 2.81 ERA.
As a freshman.
The following season was full of heartbreak. She was knocked out for the entire season with a stress fracture in her ribs, the pull of her core muscles away from her ribcage wore her down and fractured the bones. She unknowingly played with broken ribs for a month, then she remembered pitching in a game in Hawaii and asked her coaches to pull her out because she couldn't breathe.
She put in the work, she rehabbed, and the bounce-back was superhuman.
The 2019 season was a career highlight for Arissa. She was mashing at the dish and spinning gems in the circle en route to being named West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week three separate times. The season culminated with Henderson being selected to the All-WCC First Team and winning the WCC Pitcher of the Year.
She balled out.
She continued to pitch incredibly well throughout her two other seasons, but something was missing for Henderson. Something irked her, to the point where she considered leaving the sport on several different occasions.
She just wasn't having fun.
At the end of the 2021 season, Henderson had already graduated with a degree in family studies from BYU and she still had a year of eligibility left, but persistent injuries and playing in an environment that was constantly intense and full of pressure took a mental toll on her. She considered stepping away from the game and throwing away her final year of eligibility.
Almost immediately after the 2021 season, some of Henderson's teammates and friends who had transferred and taken their extra year at a different school started getting in the pitcher's ear and planting the seed that she should try a different school. Henderson's father also mentioned that she could look at going back to school and getting involved in the medical field.
That's when the wheels really started turning.
In her research, she saw that Weber State would be a great academic fit for her. She also knew WSU's assistant coaches Kristin Delahoussaye, Kevin Jensen, and Emilee Erickson, all of whom coached or played with Henderson at BYU. Arissa put her name into the transfer portal so that she could officially talk to the Wildcat coaches.
The pitch that got Henderson to put her name on the dotted line: You're going to be in school, anyway, so come play softball just for fun. No pressure.
Music to Henderson's ears.
She came to Weber State, and it's safe to say that she has had a good time. When she was asked to describe the 2022 Wildcat softball team in one word, her response was, "fun."
"The team brings good energy and they want everybody to succeed," Henderson mentioned. "They try to not take it too serious. It's a game that we get to play. Have fun with it while you're playing well, but there is no need to be stressed out and try to be perfect. Just have fun."
Henderson, who can be hyper-competitive at times - just watch her when she plays "Ticket to Ride" - found the perfect environment for her. When asked if Weber State has lived up to the recruiting pitch that convinced her to sign, she responded, "Yes, for sure. I think it's been better than I thought it would have been."
When Henderson was asked for a favorite memory up to this point of the season, she talked about how special the win over Texas A&M was. Henderson got the start in the circle for WSU, and only got two runs of run support, but that happened to be enough.
She threw a complete-game one-hitter in a 2-1 victory. It was Weber State's first-ever victory over an SEC team. Hopefully, there are plenty more memories for Henderson along the way.
At this point of the season, it's certainly safe to say that Henderson is one of the most talented players in Wildcat history. She's having a historic season and posting all kinds of gaudy numbers in the circle and at the dish. It seems like every time she takes the field, something magical is about to happen. In her lone season at Weber State, she's had the kind of impact that will last for generations, and she will go down as a Wildcat legend.
Mary Kay Amicone proudly stated of her superstar, "Arissa is a phenomenal talent and an even better person. We are very happy that she found a home with us to finish her career. Arissa is an amazing teammate and player. She is a humble and fierce competitor."
As for Henderson, she said that she wants people to remember her as a competitor. "I love to compete," she said. "I wanted to be a good teammate. That's a big thing. I wanted to be a good person and to be remembered for enjoying the game."
As much fun as Henderson has had playing at Weber State this season, WSU fans might have had more fun watching her. She may not have spent her entire career in Ogden, but she'll always have a home at Weber State.
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Players Mentioned
P/1B
/ SoftballBeyond the Bases: Episode 1
Thursday, September 11
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NCAA Tournament post-game press conference
Monday, May 19
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