Breast Cancer Awareness Month & honoring Rose Abbink Schroeder

As we turn the calendar over to a new month I am going to take this month and change my background to pink to honor my mom that passed away from breast cancer on August 24th, 2006. I know I usually take the time to write about high school sports but I am going to take just this once to reflect on a women that has meant so much to me, my mom!

Rose Abbink Schroeder was born on June 12th, 1950 to Gerrit and Fannie (Pronk) Abbink in Luverne, Mn. She grew up on the family farm in Edgerton, Mn and went to St. Luke's Nurses Training in Sioux City, IA graduating in June of 1971. She married my dad (Lee) on July 31, 1971. My mom worked as a nurse at the Tuff Memorial home and Palasaides Manor for over twenty-five years. She enjoyed helping people and making a difference in someones life.

My mom also loved supporting her kids in everything that they did. I couldn't play sports after 8th grade but that didn't matter to my mom. I still loved sports so I was the student manager in just about every sport you can think of and even though I wasn't playing mom was still there to support the team. She never missed a Hills-Beaver Creek football game on Friday night, was there the night we won the district championship over Pipestone in basketball my junior year, came with me as "the nurse" for our band trip to St. Louis my junior year and watched me graduate from H-BC in 1994. It doesn't stop there. I went into coaching after high school both volleyball and basketball and even though my mom had no idea my players names she was always there cheering on my teams! I am pretty sure she enjoyed me coaching the volleyball more then the basketball but she was always there for both! I'm still convinced my mom helped me win the volleyball city championship when I was coaching at O'Gorman.

As I move into the broadcasting side of it now I still wish she would have got to see me broadcast the "AA" girls' state championship game between O'Gorman and Brandon Valley last year with my good friend Brad Peterson but I know she was there watching over me that night.

After her death in 2006 I had two benefits in her honor called "Shootn' for a Cure." We raised money for the American Cancer Society and had a charity basketball game and silent auction both years. I am proud to report that we raised over $8000 to try and find a cure and all the money stayed local. I want to put on another one in the near future but need a home to play the basketball game. It was a lot of work putting on the benefits but well worth it in the end. I miss you  every day mom!  I look forward to the day I will see you in heaven! RIP mom!


I look forward to updating you on high school basketball this winter for ESPN 99.1 FM and 1140 KSOO AM. Help me find a cure for breast cancer!