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