Sister Andrea Jaeger Called to Serve... Off the Court

by Tom Miller

Some may remember Andrea Jaeger as the pig-tailed phenom who rocked the tennis world in the early eighties. At the age of fifteen she became the youngest player to be seeded in Wimbledon. By sixteen, she was ranked second in the world - making it to the finals of the French Open in 1982, and Wimbledon in 1983.

But none of that matter much to the thousands of cancer-stricken children touched by Jaeger and the Little Star Foundation each year. What matters to them is the hope and joy they see in her smile, and the resources the organization provides them and their families.

Jaeger believes this was why she was put on the planet, and tennis was just a vehicle to get here. In fact by 2006 she had given away all her worldly possessions, including her millions in tennis earnings and endorsements, and was ordained a Dominican nun by the Episcopal Church.

She now dedicates herself fully to helping children stricken by disease, neglect, and poverty through the Little Star Foundation.

What happened between Jaeger’s phenomenal tennis career and today is an amazing story of personal and spiritual transformation. A story we were fortunate enough to help tell. Big Pictures crew Tom Miller, Zumi Hidalgo, and Trevor Nordeen, worked with the ESPN team of Martin Khodabakhshian and Tom Rinaldi, to shoot a profile of Andrea Jaeger at the foundation’s new ranch near Durango, Colorado.

The result is this award-winning feature that aired on Sportscenter: Jaeger Movie (We shot the interview with Andrea at her Ranch, along with all the b-roll of her at the ranch. We did not shoot the other interviews or the b-roll with the kids)

To learn more about the Little Star Foundation, click here: Little Star Website

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This Article first appeared in the February 2008 issue of Big Pictures News.

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