Our Story

Paige Marie Roessner was born March 14, 2004 in Omaha, Nebraska to Jason and Barbara Roessner. She grew up in Elkhorn where she attended school, until the family moved to Wahoo, and Paige transferred to Omaha Skutt High School. She was in her senior year at Skutt, was a 4.0 GPA student, and excelled on the softball team. She was a four-year letter winner at Catcher, and had earned a scholarship to play softball at the University of Sioux Falls. Paige was also active in her church, and loved her dogs, Tiana and Bella.

Paige was a charismatic, quick witted young lady, who had a beautiful smile that could light up a room. She had a contagious laugh, and a caring, giving soul. She planned to be a high school science teacher and a coach, and showed her skills while working with special education students, and athletes at Unified and Adaptive Sports. She will be remembered as an amateur Tik Tok’er, a semi-professional comedian, and all-around fierce competitor. She cherished spending time with her dogs, and especially loved time spent in the mountains in Colorado hiking and horseback riding. Paige was a beautiful young lady, who wanted everyone to be happy, and brought joy to everyone.

Paige passed away on Wednesday, March 30 2022 at the age of 18 years and 16 days.

Many people who knew Paige did not know she struggled with depression and anxiety. She, like many with mental illness, didn’t talk about it openly.  We have created Play for Paige 33 in her honor to help bring awareness to mental health, to educate student athletes of all ages, and encourage all those who are fighting the same battle to talk about it, to ask for help.

The mission of the Play for Paige 33 Foundation is to raise funds and awareness for mental health wellness in athletics and youth. We honor Paige’s legacy by creating meaningful opportunities to bring awareness to mental health, educate student-athletes of all ages, and encourage open conversations around mental health and well-being.

Through education, advocacy, and community engagement, we strive to reduce stigma and remind student-athletes that they are not alone. We believe in the importance of asking for help, supporting one another, and fostering environments where mental health is treated with the same care and importance as physical health.

In addition to supporting student-athletes, the Play for Paige 33 Foundation works to equip coaches, parents, and communities with the tools and resources needed to better support the mental health of young athletes—both on and off the field.