Jennie Finch Empowerment Award goes to catcher Jada Cooper

Jada Cooper, a participant on this yr’s Jennie Finch Classic throughout All-Star Week in Seattle, was not too long ago chosen because the second of 4 recipients to earn this yr’s esteemed Jennie Finch Empowerment Award.

This award, which comes with a $10,000 scholarship verify and a visit to the 2023 World Series, is given to a teenage softball participant who shouldn’t be solely a terrific athlete, but additionally a scholar and a humanitarian. Out of the six traits of the Arm & Hammer JFEA — humility, dedication, motivation, management, dedication and integrity — humility and motivation are probably the most evident in Cooper.

She talked about the place these come from and her mother’s response after she instructed her she gained the award.

“It’s so hype to be around [these players], because, like this family and this environment, it makes me so much better as a player,” Cooper stated. “My motivation — my mom every day … I know she is probably crying right now. She is so excited. She can’t wait to see me when I get back home.”

A 3-sport varsity athlete (softball, basketball and volleyball), Cooper can play something and every little thing at a excessive stage. She is a 17-year-old catcher and utility infielder for the Westside Wolves High School staff in Houston. In addition, she can also be part of the Houston Astros Youth Academy. She has been a crucial piece for her native youth academy, as she helped lead Houston to the RBI World Series championship recreation final yr.

At the Houston Youth Academy, Cooper was praised for being a humble particular person, even amid all of her athletic success, for all the time being a terrific teammate by motivating those that she performs with to all the time be the very best that they will, and finally being the lifetime of the get together.

Even although Cooper was competing towards different athletes when she gained this particular award, she nonetheless obtained an enormous ovation from the opposing groups, the largest celebration that Finch had seen.

Alyssa Arnall, Cooper’s Astros Youth Academy teammate, shared the influence that Cooper has on their staff.

“She brings us all up, no matter how we are doing in the game,” Arnall stated. “If we are down or if you just had a bad play, she’ll always tell you, ‘Pick your head up.’”

Laila Robins, one other certainly one of Cooper’s teammates, echoed these praises.

“She’s so in tune with the team and very welcoming,” Robins stated. “You definitely need leaders like that to be able to push you further in the game.”

Cooper is making an influence on the sphere, however an excellent greater one off of it. Not solely does she assist coach youthful athletes on the Astros Youth Academy, however over the previous few summers, Cooper has additionally labored at a camp referred to as RaiseUp Families. Cooper, who was as soon as a beneficiary of the monetary help program from this group that helps to assist younger children that come from single-parent households, additionally helped run a meals drive for these in want.

“It feels really good to give back, because I was once in their shoes, and it’s like, ‘I’m real grateful to be here,’” Cooper stated.

Not solely do her fellow teammates have glowing remarks about her, however Megan Hays, an Astros Youth Academy coordinator, shared her appreciation as nicely for the softball athlete.

“Jada is humble in the fact that no matter how she does on that field, she still goes in that dugout and tries to pick her other teammates up,” she stated. “She motivates the opposite ladies to be simply nearly as good as she is and nonetheless has that perspective of, ‘I’m nonetheless a teammate. We nonetheless need to cheer for one another.’

“Just the balance of academics and softball is so huge. … For her to actually put that community service in there as well is very huge, but that’s just who she is. She loves giving back.”

The subsequent step for Cooper is senior yr, as she has aspirations of going to varsity to play softball and main in a business-related subject. That’s why the $10,000 scholarship is so impactful.

“It will help a lot, because I come from a family that really doesn’t have as much as other families do,” Cooper stated. “Like I really appreciate the money — it’s going to help me narrow down some options.”

“MORE POWER TO YOU” — the Jennie Finch Empowerment Award motto — may be very obvious in Cooper’s life. She is now part of a prestigious group engaged on making an lasting influence not solely on the softball subject, however locally as nicely.