It was the spring of 1982. I was 12 years old, a few months from finishing elementary school and starting junior high. All of my girlfriends were super excited to try out for the Junior High School Poms – the very elite and cool dance team that seemingly all girls aspired to. All except for me.
Me? At 4 foot something and the second smallest in all of our school’s 6th grade, I aspired to be on the girls’ basketball team. 
I started playing in the fifth grade and fell in love with the sport. So much so that when people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say “Professional basketball player.” This was 14 years before the WNBA, and Title IX had only been a thing for 10 years. I’m not even sure women’s college sports were televised.
I felt like an odd bird being the only girl to have this dream, especially when all of my friends were practicing their dance routines non-stop. But in the middle of that year, we got a new substitute teacher when our beloved Mrs. Pugliese went out on maternity leave.
Mr. McIntyre was incredibly tall (even to someone taller than 4 foot something) with even larger amounts of kindness. I think he took a liking to me because I was a little different.
I don’t remember exactly what he said to me – but I remember him being so encouraging and sharing with me how awesome it was that I was planning to try out for the girls’ basketball team. He spent time on occasion shooting a few baskets with me at recess. He even gave me a nickname: “Dr. D.”
With a very non-sporty family and very few girlfriends who played sports, having a teacher whom I admired and respected believe in me was everything. It made me think that maybe I really could have this dream.
Having an adult role model at school who supports you is so important. And it’s why I’ve loved sharing the stories of Community Bridges, an afterschool program that helps girls from grades 4 through 12 gain confidence in themselves and the ability to achieve their dreams.
This was one of the videos we created as part of their social media campaign last year to raise funds for their organization. Sharing the experiences of both the educators and the girls has been a successful part of our video fundraising strategy.
While it’s always important to have family members who encourage you, there’s something uniquely special and inspiring about having someone who is not related, believe in you.
Who were your mentors? The people who believed in you when you were growing up?
I’d love to hear your stories in the comments!