In 2014, Full Count Softball posted over 1,200 articles and we continue our look back at what we feel were the Top 10 stories of the year, ones that had emotional impact, great human interest and drama or significance to the sport.

Today’s Article: Tragedy hits Arkansas softball

Ranking: #4

First Published: Feb. 26, 2014
(updates were posted in the “Daily Update” the same day and the following day… the text is included below)

What It’s About: In February of last year, Arkansas freshman softball player Jessica “Reggie” Harrison lost her father, Steve, when he died suddenly just a few years after her mother had died from cancer. Losing both parents was devastating, as you would imagine, but making it doubly tough was the fact that Reggie was left on her own to pay for her father’s funeral expenses—well, not exactly. As Jen Schroeder, the founder of The Total Package and sister of Nicole Schroeder, a teammate and good friend of Reggie’s on the Arkansas softball team, wrote: “Reggie is now parentless, but she has the power of the Softball Community behind her.”   At the time, I was with StudentSportsSoftball.com and quickly jumped on the opportunity to be part of the “information chain” to get the word out across the softball world about Reggie’s situation and the need to raise funds. Posting wherever possible, including HeyBucket.com and other popular message boards, everyone with a voice got the word out and the softball world beautifully rose to the occasion. Softball greats like Caitlin Lowe and Jenni Finch also linked to the article on their twitter sites, greatly enhancing public awareness. A “Give Forward” fundraising site was established and the donations poured in, surpassing by 2 1/2 times what was needed for the funeral expenses.

Update: From a very sad situation, came the great and satisfying realization of the power of the softball community to rally behind an important cause. Over $23,000 was raised to help Reggie and, to its credit, the NCAA let her keep the money for personal needs. She’s now a sophomore on the Razorbacks’ softball team and last year hit .298 and started 18 games.

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ORIGINAL STORY:

Tragedy hits Arkansas softball

We got a very sad note yesterday from Jen Schroeder, the former UCLA catcher now running Jen Schro Catching. 

Jen’s sister, Nicole, plays on the Univ. of Arkansas softball team and one of her teammates and good friends, Jessica “Reggie” Harrison, lost her father, Steve, to a heart attack last weekend.

Says Jen, “Reggie has had to plan an entire funeral and has had to grow up more abruptly than anyone I’ve ever known all while juggling her very first college season.”

Jen goes more into detail below about the situation and invites all of us in the softball community to help Reggie at this incredibly difficult time…

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Today it is with an extremely heavy heart that I share a story about both tragedy and strength.

Jessica “Reggie” Harrison, a freshman softball stud at the University of Arkansas and one of my sister’s closest friends, lost her mother to cancer years ago and over the weekend tragically lost her father.

As an only child, she had an undeniable bond with her dad.

He was her best friend and the person she shared everything with. They would talk every day, all throughout the day.  After finishing up this past weekend’s tournament and having unanswered messages to her dad, she reached out to neighbors and her former travel ball coach with her concerns.

It was in the airport following her games that she was delivered the tragic news that her father had passed.  Immediately, the University of Arkansas’ assistant coach and her changed their flights and headed to Reggie’s home in Houston, Texas.

My sister describes Reggie as one of her greatest friends—an amazingly thoughtful human being, a wonderful teammate and a person who makes others better just by being herself.

Reggie had a relationship with her father that most only dream about; one that all of us aspire to create with our parents and children.

Undoubtedly, Reggie’s story is tragic, but it also has the potential to inspire if you allow it. Yes, Reggie is now parentless, but, she has the power of the Softball Community behind her.

She has current and former teammates and coaches.  She has her Razorback sisters.  She has her Texas Pepper sisters.  She has softball families that have treated her like their own.  She has softball families that don’t know her, but can sympathize with her story.

… and REGGIE HAS YOU.

Let Reggie’s story inspire you to be a better daughter or parent.  Let Reggie’s story inspire you to tell the people you love how you feel.  Let Reggie’s story motivate you to reach out to the people you care about daily.

Let Reggie’s story begin a movement within the softball community.

At only 19 years of age Reggie has been thrown into adult life abruptly all while trying to juggle her very first softball season.  If you are wondering what you can do to make this transition a little easier here is a great option:

• A  “Give Forward” link has been set up where both monetary donations and sentimental words can be shared

If nothing else, allow this tragedy to inspire you to create a relationship like the one Reggie was so fortunate to share with her father.

Reggie, my thoughts and prayers are with you.  I am SO thankful that my sister has a role model and friend like YOU.  Find comfort in knowing you now have two angels that will never miss another softball game.

— Jen Schroeder

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ORIGINAL STORY:

Daily Update 02.26.14 (posted later the same day of the original story)

Wow, what an incredible day.  The site has hit record-levels of traffic due to the story posted this morning about Reggie Harrison and the passing of her father last weekend… we’ll touch on that as well as profile Pennsylvania catcher who’s staying in the Northeast to play at the next level and a Texas girl who also is staying home to play Big 12 ball. We have the top 50 preseason softball teams by MaxPreps and also look at the college Players of the Week.

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TRAGEDY AT ARKANSAS: REGGIE HARRISON’S FATHER PASSES AWAY

It’s always tough when a young person loses a parent, but it was devastating to learn this week that Arkansas freshman Reggie Harrison’s father, Steve, suffered a fatal heart attack last weekend just a few years after Reggie’s mother passed away from cancer.

An only child, your heart goes out to Reggie but as Jen Schroeder wrote in the article posted this morning, Reggie is a special person important to all around her and has a great support system not just at Arkansas with her teammates, but really within the entire softball community.

A huge thanks to Jen for allowing us the privilege of promoting the cause to help raise awareness of Reggie’s situation and we extend gratitude to a wide variety of people including greats in the spot like Caitlin Lowe and Jenni Finch, who linked to our article as did John Cookson of HeyBucket.com who noted, “Steve was a member of Heybucket since day one.”

Even the Univ. of Arkansas staff forwarded the piece to players, from what we were told by Jen (her sister, Nicole, plays on the Razorbacks’ team and is good friends with Reggie).

Most importantly, I want to thank you, the softball community, for your unbelievable support. Jen told us that several thousand dollars were raised since this morning and hopefully the support, both financial and emotional, will continue.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Reggie at this time too…

Finally on the subject, here’s a nice note that came in today:

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Reggie:

I am so very sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you in this time of need. It’s never easy to be with out your family, but Jen couldn’t of said it better. You now have two angels that will never miss another softball game or any other event in your life. I hope you find comfort in knowing you have the love and support of your team, friends and family to help you get through. I wish you thoughts and prayers, strength and comfort, and lots of luck to continue your journey as a Razorback.

Xoxoxo,
Danielle

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ORIGINAL STORY:

Daily Update 02.27.14 (posted the day after the original story was published)

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 REGGIE HARRISON UPDATE:

The softball community continues to rally around Reggie Harrison, the Univ. of Arkansas freshman softball player who lost her father, Steve, last weekend when he suffered a fatal heart attack.

Yesterday morning the fundraising site was approaching the goal of $10K to help pay for funeral costs and today we’re happy to say that the total as of this moment is $17,280.

Thanks to all those who’ve offered financial support… everyone involved in the situation is very, VERY appreciative!