A Northwest Indiana native, a mother, and a leader, Jessica McRobert spends her time giving back to the community through the gift of youth sports. As the first-ever female President of Portage Jr. Miss Softball (PJM), McRobert has excelled at developing young women and doing what she loves.
McRobert is a stay-at-home mom and has three children of her own. Where many stay-at-home mothers are busy with their own children and tasks around the house, McRobert goes above and beyond the call of duty to help foster values and important lessons to children throughout the community, not just in her own home. This is all done through PJM, a nonprofit softball league that operates throughout Northwest Indiana.
“We’re there to help guide and develop young ladies in the softball life,” McRobert said. “We volunteer all of our time and our coaching abilities. We’re really there to help the girls learn, progress, and maybe make an impact on their lives and make them better people.”
McRobert loves the opportunity to give back to the community and to help these girls. Surprisingly, McRobert had little background in softball before she started. Despite her lack of background or expert knowledge, McRobert has had an incredible support system that has allowed her to be successful in her efforts. All it took was the passion to help these girls to make an impact in McRobert's life.
“2015 was my first year coaching, and I’m not a softball player. I never played in high school. I played a little bit of slow pitch for a while and that was mainly just because it was something to do,” McRobert said. “So, this is not my first sport, but I had a number of people around me--friends and colleagues and other coaches--to help guide me. To see those young ladies that I first started coaching becoming teenagers is amazing. When those girls go, ‘Hey, coach Jess,’ or the parents say, ‘Hey, coach Jess,’ that makes you feel good. To see these young ladies progressing not only in softball but in school and in life, that to me is the most rewarding.”
As President of PJM, McRobert works hard to provide a quality experience for young girls and their families. There is no doubt she has been successful, but McRobert acknowledges there is still much to learn. McRobert also credits her success to her great support system both at PJM and at home.
“There’s still a lot for me to learn. I’ve got a great support system through the program and at home, which makes it a lot easier. This will be my sixth year on the board, so I know a lot of the ins and outs, but you don’t know everything until you are in the position that I’m in now. Without the other board members that have been there for years and without their guide, I don’t think I could do it because it’s definitely not an individual program. We all have to work together as a team, but knowing that they want me in that position, it means a lot,” McRobert said.
Although it can be challenging to run an organization and be so involved, McRobert loves the grind. Despite all the stress, sweat, and tears, the service she provides and the connections she makes within the community make it all worth it. Being a leader and working with families is something McRobert loves, and she offers this advice to all aspiring leaders.
“Follow your heart because if your heart’s not in it, it’s not going to be enjoyable for you. If you don’t love it, it’s just not worth it. And always, always make sure you surround yourself with good people because with good people, good things happen,” McRobert said.
McRobert has big goals and big dreams for the future of PJM. As of late, there has been a large shift in youth sports. Many young athletes and families are going to travel leagues earlier than ever before which is affecting nonprofits and recreational leagues like PJM. McRobert plans to keep the community engaged and keep kids active and invested in sports.
“I just want to make sure I can keep PJM out there and open for as many girls as I can. Our mission at PJM is to just keep the kids active, keep them invested in sports, and keep them motivated to be our future leaders,” McRobert said.
The number of connections and positive lessons learned through athletics paired with the power of positivity creates such tremendous people in communities throughout the Region. McRobert has been able to take these two elements of success and create leaders and a positive future for Portage, Ind.