Spend time with Jen Schroeder and you are quickly drawn to her engaging personality, and you learn she has a passion for life, receives tremendous joy from working with children and loves the game of softball.
But there is more to what drives her. Much more.
Watch her interact with her daughter and you see how proud she is to be a mother, attend a Jen Schro Catcher camp and you witness what it means for her to mentor, coach and motivate young women and when she engages with friends you see how she values and believes in the human spirit.
The character traits she has developed have been shaped by arguably the greatest day in her life and some of the more heartbreaking moments she has experienced.
Three years ago, Schroeder brought her daughter Rudi into the world which changed her life forever.
“I’ve spent my life coaching hundreds of thousands of girls and trying to be a good role model for them. Then you have a daughter, and you start to think, okay, wait, am I really prepared for this? Am I really, what am I doing? You start to question everything. But with her, there was just such peace, and she was supposed to be mine.
“Now everything that I do is with her in mind. Every decision I make, everything I do, I think of how it would impact her and not just as my daughter, but I use her as a muse for the hundreds of thousands of other little girls that I get to coach because I understand now that the parents who are bringing their daughters to come to one of my retreats, or who are buying gear for their daughters, are doing so because they love that human more than anything else. And when I’m designing products or curating clinics, I’m not just creating events for their daughters. I’m creating the event for my daughter because I see my daughter in their daughters.”
But she also has felt the pain of cancer and the impact it has on a family. She watched her close friend lose her son less than 12 months after his birth because of cancer, witnessed the sister of one of her students at Jen Schro Catcher fight cancer and is currently experiencing the fight against cancer by the side of another close friend with a niece who is afflicted with the disease.
Jen Schroeder is not one to sit idly by. After witnessing the pain cancer has yielded, she has been moved to action.
And she did what many of us would do. She reached out to her family for support.
Fortunately, she has a long-standing relationship with Easton Diamond Sports, and they are part of her family.
She contacted Easton Sports Marketing Manager Julie Tobyansen with a plan to honor three children who have been affected by cancer and fight for the ones who can’t by donating to the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.
The result of the collaboration is the launch of a special limited edition set of Easton x Jen Schro Pediatric Cancer Research Catcher’s Gear.
“Easton has teamed up with Jen Schroeder to honor the hundreds of thousands of children who have lost their battle, are fighting or have survived.” said Tobyansen. “Far too many children are being diagnosed with this terrible disease and we would like to do our part in raising awareness and funds to go towards research for our future children.”
The set features a white and gold colorway, which represents Pediatric Cancer. The gear is embellished with the Pediatric Cancer Ribbon and is dedicated to three children from Schroeder’s personal life that have been affected by cancer; Will Irwin, who was diagnosed and lost his battle all before he turned a year old, Karina, who battled cancer for several years while her older sister, Lexie was a Jen Schro Catcher, and Charlie Stenson who is currently still undergoing treatment. She is the niece of former University of Washington softball player – Bailey Stenson and longtime friend of Jen Schroeder.
“I’m so thankful for my relationship with Easton because they listen to the wants and needs of a softball player. They’re truly interested in making great products for softball players, especially females. And for me to be able to partner with them on this project is incredibly rewarding. I’m just so grateful for them,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder knew exactly who she wanted to gift with the first set of Easton x Jen Schro Pediatric Cancer Research Catcher’s Gear and that was Brooklyn Smith.
Brooklyn is currently in the fight of her life having been diagnosed with leukemia.
She recently underwent 10 months of intensive, front-line chemotherapy treatment. Less than a month after that session, she was a participant in Jen Schroeder’s The Retreat program for catchers.
And showcasing her desire and courage, she participated in all the drills required of the attendees.
“Her effort never wavered. It didn’t matter how much pain she was in. It didn’t matter that she didn’t have the strength that others had,” said Schroeder. “She was giving 100 percent of what she had every single minute, because at one point in her life, probably just months prior, she didn’t know she’d have the chance to give 100 percent.
“She wasn’t going to waste a second of her life. And that was so evident to me and all the coaches in that room. And from the second she stepped on the turf, she stood out to us, because she gave us everything she had, every second she had the chance.”
We have circled December 7, 2024, on our calendar. That is the date, following another year and a half of treatment, Brooklyn will be cancer free.
“This is only a start. I hope this inspires other companies to step up and do more. Everything that I do, we always do it to that next level. But our goal is that other people start doing it to that level, to raise the bar and bring everyone up with us.
“Let’s all do it. If we all do more, then we’re all growing for good. It’s not about Jen Schroeder doing this. It’s not about Easton. It’s about the people we’re doing it for. If more people start to do good things for people, the world becomes a better place. That’s what I hope that any project I work on does.”
The Angel
This is more than a story of loss. This is a story of family, friendship and the willingness to fight.
And did Will ever fight.
Unbearable to know that the Irwin family was blessed with Will and less than a year later he passed due to cancer.
During his brief time, Mike and Joanna Irwin adopted the phrase ‘where there’s a Will, there’s a way’ and spent every possible minute capturing memories they will cherish forever.
While he is no longer with us in body, his spirit and fight continue to shine.
Jen Schroeder chose to use Will as a centerpiece of her Pediatric Cancer Research gear due in large part to that spirit.
The next generation of kids that Will is protecting includes his little brother JJ. His legacy lives on through this project and through JJ who knows his big brother is in heaven.
The next time you hear the phrase ‘where there’s a Will, there’s a way’ think of Will Irwin and smile knowing that his spirit will continue to live on, and his story will continue to inspire.
The Fighter
Bailey Stenson and her sister-in-law Emily Stenson couldn’t have dreamed of anything better. It was perfect.
The two were pregnant at the same time and were due about two weeks apart. The realization that the tight-knit family could have children of the same age meant so much to both Bailey and Emily.
Bailey had twin girls and Emily brought Charlie into the world.
“We call them the triplet cousins because they all look the same,” Bailey said. “When we went to Disneyland together people were asking if they were triplets.”
And then came the phone call that shook her to her core.
“When Charlie was diagnosed, it was my worst nightmare outside of my own children getting cancer. I just held my kids as they cried, and it just felt surreal. And I’ll never forget that. I’ll never, ever forget that moment.”
Learning that Charlie was diagnosed was made even more impactful when you consider that Bailey is a cancer survivor.
Bailey was three and a half years old when she was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia.
“I went through two years of chemotherapy and was declared cancer free in November of 1993,” she said. “This November, it’ll be 30 years cancer free.”
Life can be cruel as Bailey pieced together that she and Charlie have traveled much the same path, which brought back a flood of memories. Many that no person should ever have to endure.
“I was the exact same age as Charlie. I have a port catheter scar on my chest, and she also has one. I lost all my hair, and she lost her hair,” Bailey said. “Similar things that you never want to share with anyone, let alone another child in your family.”
But let me introduce you to Charlie.
She has a song that she sings, which is tough girls do tough things. This is her mantra and the family had t-shirts designed with that emblazoned on the front.
“She’s just so smart and so funny and witty and just wise beyond her years. But throughout this whole cancer journey it’s like she’s aged five years. Just the things that she’s gone through has made her so much different,” Bailey said. “She’s just on another level of life experience that kids should never have to go through. And it’s not fair but she’s been a shining light through this whole ordeal. Always so positive. And she’s hit some bumps in the road, but honestly, she’s taken them all in stride and she’s just a very, very happy and wonderful little girl. And we’re just so lucky to have her in our family and in our life.”
More about Charlie? Well, she already has a better appreciation of life than most because she values every single minute and the small things that make life precious.
“She went on vacation recently with the family and she’s like, oh my gosh, I love wind. Just grateful for the really little things. Like, oh my gosh, I’m outside on a boat. I love being on a boat. And she doesn’t have her hair, so they told her that her hair went on vacation. And Charlie loves vacation so that made it ok. And so, it’s just all these little things.”
Bailey and Jen Schroeder have been friends since they competed against each other in college on the softball diamond – Bailey at Washington and Jen at UCLA. And Jen has been a shoulder, a friend and an advocate during this journey.
To be included in this catcher gear is monumental for the Stenson family.
“For Charlie to be part of the inspiration behind this is special. So many little girls are going to wear this gear with Charlie’s name on it. She’s going to be close to all these kids’ hearts, literally on the chest protector and people are going to know Charlie’s story. It’s just so special that Jen included Charlie in this, obviously it’s a horrific thing and cancer sucks, but to know that so many people in the world have just taken her into their prayers and thoughts during this time. The things that they’re doing to support our family. It leaves me speechless.”
There is no question that Charlie will win this battle. We already know that tough girls do tough things.
The Survivor
Lexi Lopez was experiencing what many student-athletes face during their freshman year. The Cal State Fullerton catcher was going through the ups and downs of the first year of college and trying to balance academics and softball.
A call to her father was exactly what she needed.
“Freshman year was just hard. Every freshman goes through that during the year,” she said. “I was so stressed and called my dad and told him that I was stressed, that I had a lot of homework, and I just didn’t know if I could do it. He said, ‘do you think your sister would give up?’ Then it brings it all back to reality.”
The reality she is referencing is what her sister Karina went through in her battle against cancer.
Karina was four years old in 2016 when she was diagnosed with cancer. Lexi describes her sister as sassy, stubborn and the light of the family. All the qualities necessary to battle against cancer.
“I walked into the ICU and saw kids fighting every single day for their lives. It’s hard to see your little sister going through that, but watching how she fought gives me a lot of motivation and I feel like I can never give up. I will never give up.”
It required a fight for Karina to survive. Her heart stopped twice while she was in the hospital, but what Lexi saw from her sister was empowering.
“I learned so much about Karina, but mostly that she is resilient,” Lexi said. “Nothing could tear her down and she always had a smile on her face. She has beautiful long brown hair and when they had to cut it off, we made a game about it. She was unphased and never negative.”
Meanwhile, another person was helping her navigate this situation and that was Jen Schroeder.
Lexi first met Schroeder when she was nine years old at a catching camp.
“We clicked right away, and I loved how she pushed me to my limit. I left that workshop feeling so tired, but I loved it so much.”
Schroeder stayed in constant contact with Lexi and celebrated with her when Karina won her fight.
To honor that victory, Schroeder had a very special surprise in store for Lexi, Karina and their family.
“I was working in one of the workshops and she called me over to talk about work and leading her lessons and to see if I was comfortable in that role,” Lexi said. “We were sitting on the turf just talking and she told me she had a surprise for me. She showed me the pictures of the catcher gear and told me the story. We were both crying, and it was just so awesome. Jen has the biggest heart and I’m just so thankful to have her in my life.”
Today, Karina is still sassy and stubborn and is still the light of the family. She is a frequent visitor to Cal State Fullerton to watch her sister play softball and their sisterly bond is closer than ever.
“We tend to take the little things in life for granted, but I’ve learned to value those as well. I’m always extremely grateful to anybody who gives me an opportunity.”
*****
For more information or to purchase one of the 300 Easton x Jen Schro Pediatric Cancer Research Catcher’s Gear sets, please visit https://www.easton.rawlings.com and follow Easton on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
About the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF):
Determined to transform pediatric cancer care by accelerating research breakthroughs, the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation has one goal: to make it possible for all children facing childhood cancer to beat their disease and realize their full potential. Overseen by scientific thought leaders, its rigorous and competitive process for awarding research grants has contributed to pivotal advancements in the areas of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Immunotherapy/CAR T-cells, Osteosarcoma, Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia, and Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation is a GuideStar Platinum-rated charity. Powering Cures, Realizing Futures, its inspiring motto, encapsulates the Foundation’s motivation and commitment. For more information, please visit www.PCRF-kids.org
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