University of Minnesota Athletics
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RHP
/ Softball
RHP/UT
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The Fiser Family Fights Together
4/26/2019 9:39:00 AM | Softball
Opposing batters probably have nightmares about Amber Fiser's off-speed but they aren't the only ones.
Her father, Rob, has always been her catcher, but this past winter an off-speed got away from him and landed smack on top of his big toe.
"He kept making me throw," Amber recalled. "He kept catching the next few days even but a week later he went to the doctor and got put in a boot."
Rob had broken his toe. His spirit to keep on catching for his daughter is no surprise to Amber though. She's been watching her dad fight through pain for a long time.
Early on in high school he began having kidney failure. He was fortunate to find a donor but battled rejection early on and spent most of his time in Des Moines, Iowa, about two hours away from Amber's home in Van Horne.
"It was a really bad winter so I didn't actually get to see him that much," Amber explained.
Rob beat rejection and was doing really well for a few years when he got told he would need another kidney. A cousin from Colorado found out she was a match, flew down and donated a kidney.
"Technically he has four now because they don't get rid of kidneys, they just add," Amber said.
Meanwhile, Amber was having one of the most dominant prep careers the state of Iowa has ever seen in softball. She recorded a senior year ERA of 0.30 with eight perfect games and set a state record for strikeouts in the state championship game with nineteen.
Amber committed to come play softball four hours away from home in Minnesota and went a perfect 14-0 as a freshman. After spending the first year as the Gophers number two option behind All-American Sara Groenewegen, Amber stepped up as the Gophers ace last year earning First Team All-Great Lakes Region and First Team All-Big Ten honors.
As her sophomore campaign winded down and the Gophers were on their way to winning a third straight Big Ten title, Rob began feeling sick again. He didn't shake it throughout the summer and sat Amber and her brother down in August.
He told her he had been diagnosed with a rare form of prostate cancer.
"It's also close to his kidneys so they have to be careful with any treatment," Amber explained. "It's hard coming back to college because I want to be there. I know that he loves softball and watching me play softball. It's a family sport so he wants me to follow my dreams."
Amber grew up watching her dad play slowpitch and fastpitch.
"I was always at the park," Amber said. "I remember going out every single night watching him play. I grew up around it and fell in love with it."
And now Rob loves watching her play.
"I talk to him every day," Amber said. "He is basically my best friend. I feel bad for him because he is the one I rant to."
Rob just finished radiation and is well on his way to winning another health battle. Amber has always had her dad to look up to and talk to but since being in college, her teammates have been there every step of the way as well. The Gophers hosted Michigan State for a doubleheader this year and the team wore hints of light blue to show support and raise awareness for prostate cancer. It was a powerful moment for the Fiser family.
"This team, we are all there for each other," Amber said. "Knowing I have the support system I have here makes me feel comfortable and really welcome. Sometimes you need people outside of your family to talk too. Knowing that it's your teammates makes it that much better."
Her father, Rob, has always been her catcher, but this past winter an off-speed got away from him and landed smack on top of his big toe.
"He kept making me throw," Amber recalled. "He kept catching the next few days even but a week later he went to the doctor and got put in a boot."
Rob had broken his toe. His spirit to keep on catching for his daughter is no surprise to Amber though. She's been watching her dad fight through pain for a long time.
Early on in high school he began having kidney failure. He was fortunate to find a donor but battled rejection early on and spent most of his time in Des Moines, Iowa, about two hours away from Amber's home in Van Horne.
"It was a really bad winter so I didn't actually get to see him that much," Amber explained.
Rob beat rejection and was doing really well for a few years when he got told he would need another kidney. A cousin from Colorado found out she was a match, flew down and donated a kidney.
"Technically he has four now because they don't get rid of kidneys, they just add," Amber said.
Meanwhile, Amber was having one of the most dominant prep careers the state of Iowa has ever seen in softball. She recorded a senior year ERA of 0.30 with eight perfect games and set a state record for strikeouts in the state championship game with nineteen.
Amber committed to come play softball four hours away from home in Minnesota and went a perfect 14-0 as a freshman. After spending the first year as the Gophers number two option behind All-American Sara Groenewegen, Amber stepped up as the Gophers ace last year earning First Team All-Great Lakes Region and First Team All-Big Ten honors.
As her sophomore campaign winded down and the Gophers were on their way to winning a third straight Big Ten title, Rob began feeling sick again. He didn't shake it throughout the summer and sat Amber and her brother down in August.
He told her he had been diagnosed with a rare form of prostate cancer.
"It's also close to his kidneys so they have to be careful with any treatment," Amber explained. "It's hard coming back to college because I want to be there. I know that he loves softball and watching me play softball. It's a family sport so he wants me to follow my dreams."
Amber grew up watching her dad play slowpitch and fastpitch.
"I was always at the park," Amber said. "I remember going out every single night watching him play. I grew up around it and fell in love with it."
And now Rob loves watching her play.
"I talk to him every day," Amber said. "He is basically my best friend. I feel bad for him because he is the one I rant to."
Rob just finished radiation and is well on his way to winning another health battle. Amber has always had her dad to look up to and talk to but since being in college, her teammates have been there every step of the way as well. The Gophers hosted Michigan State for a doubleheader this year and the team wore hints of light blue to show support and raise awareness for prostate cancer. It was a powerful moment for the Fiser family.
"This team, we are all there for each other," Amber said. "Knowing I have the support system I have here makes me feel comfortable and really welcome. Sometimes you need people outside of your family to talk too. Knowing that it's your teammates makes it that much better."
Highlights: Gophers 6, Central Michigan 1
Saturday, February 21
Highlights: Gophers 7, LIU 6
Saturday, February 21
Highlights: Gophers 11, NMSU 4
Saturday, February 14
Highlights: Gophers 8, UTEP 6
Friday, February 13