Karen Schnurr committed to the idea immediately.

The Pennridge (Pa.) girls’ lacrosse coach was looking for a way to keep her team connected and engaged since its season was suspended in mid-March. They communicated through Zoom meetings and 3 p.m. bodyweight workouts that offered some form of routine. They even completed stick trick skill challenges, which many of the Lady Rams posted on TikTok.

But Schnurr longed for something more personal.

“Right now is a very unsure time,” she said. “We really wanted to do something to show the players we’re still here for them and we’ll get through this together.”

When assistant coach Will Rodzewich suggested March 30 that they ride bikes to each player’s house to have a catch with them from at least six feet away, Schnurr did not need much convincing. 

“That’s a great idea,” she texted back, even though Rodzewich was half-kidding. “Let’s do it.” 

“The driving force for the trip was Karen's association with the kids,” Rodzewich said. “Her coaching transcends X’s and O’s and wins and losses. She really turns it into a whole learning experience.” 

The All You Got Bike Tour, named for the team’s 2020 motto, gave the Lady Rams something that has become fleeting during the COVID-19 pandemic: real-life face time. Earlier this month, Schnurr and Rodzewich made a nine-and-a-half-hour trek through the Pennridge district in Bucks County to visit 31 players. 

“It shows how much she cares about the team and cares for all of us individually, because it’s not just about lacrosse for her,” senior Maddie Banks told CBS Philly. “It’s about the players.”

Rodzewich’s daughter, Jen, who played for Schnurr at Pennridge and is now a junior midfielder at Temple, followed close by in a red Chevy Equinox that had a bike rack, just in case. They never needed it. A media studies and production major, Jen Rodzewich produced a three-minute video about the bike tour she uploaded to YouTube. Driving between the destinations and filming as much as she could, she also offered words of encouragement and periodic snacks. 

"PB&J's really saved the day," Jen Rodzewich said. 

After Schnurr got approval from Pennridge’s principal, Will Rodzewich used his engineering background and experience riding his bike every morning around the area to map out the most efficient route between the 26 addresses. He estimated their approximate arrival time at every stop and accounted for the five to 10 minutes they would spend at each house. He then sent the itinerary to Schnurr. 

“Does that say 62 miles?” she asked.

It did. The final 60-mile route also included about 2,700 feet of elevation gain. Schnurr, who is in her sixth year leading the Lady Rams and is also a social studies teacher at Pennridge, had some experience with long jaunts like The Ben to the Shore Bike Tour that spans from Philadelphia to Atlantic City. The rolling hills throughout the Pennridge district that encompasses East Rockhill, West Rockhill and Hilltop Townships were more intimidating. She wished she had looked more closely at the climbs on Rodzewich’s spreadsheet before embarking on the tour. 

“That thing said 37 miles per hour and all I thought about was what about my teeth?” Schnurr said after plunging down Keystone Drive, one of the steeper descents. “I need a mouth guard. Is this our last hill?”

When Schnurr wasn’t worrying about the terrain or her teeth, her conversation with Rodzewich and her thoughts turned to the team, which she thinks of as her second family. She reflected about how much time and commitment all her players dedicated. Official practices started on March 2, but preparations began long before.

“You really start working when the previous season ends,” Schnurr said.

She thought about the open practices in July, fall ball, clinics with Philly Girls in Motion and the twice-weekly optional 6 a.m. agility workouts since January. If her team could show up to all of those with a smile, Schnurr assured herself she could muster her white Specialized road bike up the next hill. 

“For the love of the game,” she repeated like a mantra during tough moments. 

“She didn’t give up,” Will Rodzewich said. 

The payoff was the reaction from the players and their parents.

“It was something I can’t even describe,” Schnurr said.

The coaches were greeted at each house like after a playoff win. Some parents rang cowbells. Others set aside cookies and Gatorade.

The visits to the six seniors were the hardest part. 

“I didn’t want to leave,” Schnurr said.

The start of this season had brought a combination of optimism and apprehension. The Lady Rams were motivated to rebound from a losing record in 2019. They had an impressive scrimmage against Lansdale Catholic on March 11, during which Schnurr wanted to make sure everyone played and had fun.

“We didn't know if it was going to be the last game,” she said. “But if it was, I wanted it to be a positive note.”

The season was initially suspended for two weeks on Friday, March 13. Pennridge’s hope to return to Helman Field for a couple games in May faded once the PIAA canceled the remainder of the season on April 9. But the Lady Rams still have something to look forward to. 

“I think after around the third house, we realized we would do another one as long as the situation stays the same,” Will Rodzewich said. 

They’ve brainstormed different ways to top the feat. One idea was for the players to wear costumes. Several of the juniors said they’d put on their prom dresses that they won’t get to use otherwise. 

While the specifics still need to be finalized for an All You Got Bike Tour II, Schnurr’s primary motivation has not wavered. 

“I would do it again just to see them,” she said.