Who is Clayton Kershaw's wife Ellen? A look at their journey from teenage romance to marriage

When Clayton Kershaw first glimpsed Ellen Melson in a Dallas high school hallway, the seeds of a long-lasting love story took root. Nearly 15 years married now, their story is one of teenage love, lasting marriage, and boom, boom, boom — babies galore, and leading activism around the world.

Ellen is making a significant bond with Clayton on and off the field, building a life together based on faith, service, and family.

The teenage romance of Clayton Kershaw and Ellen Melson

Ellen Melson met Clayton Kershaw as a freshman at Highland Park High School in University Park, Texas, around the time she was 15 and he was 14. In an interview with Satanella, Ellen once called Clayton ‘the class clown’ and recalled him finally getting up the nerve to ask her out during lunch in the school cafeteria.

That connection solidified through the years, including time spent apart, as Clayton was drafted by the Dodgers in 2006 and Ellen was enrolled at Texas A&M University. And they still stood by one another despite how far they were from each other. The couple then wed at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas and celebrated their union with a Dodger-themed reception following at Royal Oaks Country Club. The two had been together for seven years before tying the knot on December 4, 2010.

Ellen Kershaw’s role in Clayton’s family life and philanthropy

Clayton and his wife, Ellen, have four kids together: Cali Ann, Charley, Cooper Ellis, and Chance James. The family divides its time between Studio City, Los Angeles, at the start of baseball season, and University Park, Texas, during the off-season.The two have shared their life experiences in a book they co-wrote: Live Out Your Faith and Dreams on Whatever Field You Find Yourself (2012), a memoir that traces the course of their Christian faith and humanitarian efforts.

In 2011, they teamed up to create Kershaw's Challenge — a nonprofit helping children and families in the U.S. and around the world.Also Read: 'It’s a little bush league': Clayton Kershaw unhappy with timing of old highlight played during pregameIn 2011, however, a mission trip to Zambia with their then-teenage son expanded their philanthropic focus, especially after they met a young orphan named Hope. Struck by her story, they started Hope's Home, a residential orphanage in Lusaka, in 2012, funded partially when Clayton pledged $100 for every strikeout — over $100,000 in the first year. Because of their effort, Clayton received MLB’s highest humanitarian honor, the Roberto Clemente Award.