Meet Erin Stender, Board Member of Every Kid Sports.
Erin Stender’s earliest childhood memories revolve around being active. Rather than traditional sports, she spent her younger years horseback riding, rock climbing and white water rafting with her family. When she topped out at 5’9” in 6th grade, her parents suggested she use her height to an advantage by giving basketball a try. “Being that tall in 6th grade invited a lot of teasing, but I was fortunate that my parents helped me consider using my height as an asset and strength instead of a burden.”
“What I find most compelling about Every Kid Sports is that we are creating access to opportunities for kids to have an active experience that they otherwise might not have. ”
Erin quickly embraced several sports, and when her family moved to the east coast from Texas, she discovered the sport of field hockey. “I was a three-sport kid all through high school; I played field hockey, basketball and softball, but field hockey was my primary focus. I had the opportunity to play for a D1 college my freshman year, but soon realized that the intensity of playing just one sport was not the experience I wanted.”
Transferring to Boston College, Erin continued to play field hockey at the club-level, but she also became a casual runner with the goal of completing the Boston Marathon before graduating. “I was fortunate to have dorm-mates who liked to run, and we set a goal to run the Boston Marathon before we left college. We ran it my senior year, and I have since ran over 20 marathons and also became involved with triathlons.” Erin met Arch Fuston, Board President of Every Kid Sports, through her involvement with triathlons, and when she found herself considering a new board position, Arch told her about the opportunity to join Every Kid Sports’ board.
“I had just served three years on a board for a very good cause, but wanted to join a mission that I felt more emotionally connected to. As a new mom, my perspective had shifted, and I felt a more personal purpose that was aligned with the mission of Every Kid Sports. What I find most compelling about Every Kid Sports is that we are creating access to opportunities for kids to have an active experience that they otherwise might not have. I know that barriers to participation exist; whether it be financial or that a parent doesn’t have the time or energy to look for resources to remove those barriers..Every Kid Sports gives that access and does it in a simple way.”
Erin currently works as Vice President of Marketing for Neon One, a software company that provides technology solutions to nonprofit organizations. Every Kids Sports is honored to have Erin serve on our board and lend her extensive professional experience, as well as her passion for action and movement, to further our mission of giving all kids access to sports participation.
– The Every Kid Sports team