As the daughter of a father who played collegiate football and a mother who played collegiate basketball, my attraction to sports understandably started at an early age. However, when I really think back to what shaped my love for sports, I think about my mom's job as Director of Athletic Academic Services at Wichita State University.
(From left) Darius Carter, Ron Baker, Gretchen Torline, Tekele Cotton and Evan Wessel posing for a photo after graduation.
My mom is essentially a mother figure to all athletes at WSU. She's the one working behind the scenes to ensure they not only stay eligible to play their sports, but also that they are actively seeking graduation. If that means confronting them when they are being lazy, trust me when I say she's not afraid to do that.
The proudest I've seen my mom isn't when her athletes win the big championship game, it's when they've come back after years away from school and finish their degree.
Growing up, I was constantly surrounded by sports and athletes of all sizes. My mom works closely with the men's basketball team, so I became familiar with the looming figures of men 3 times my size calling my mom "Momma Gretch" when I'd visit her office on days off of school.
An embarrassing photo of me traveling to a basketball tournament with my mom, circa 2008.
Watching my mom work in this space felt as natural as any of the jobs my other friends' mothers had.
It was only when I got older that I realized her role as an influential female figure in sports was rarer than I thought. I noticed her working alongside the many men occupying the space around her. She always held her own, which, if you know my mother, you wouldn't be surprised to hear.
Her career left no doubt in my mind that I could, as a woman, make a space in the sports industry for myself and influence the people around me. She also showed me the importance of caring about the people you are serving and making your work meaningful.
My mom and former Wichita State basketball player, Fred VanVleet, after the team won the conference title.
Her tireless work to ensure the success of her student-athletes inspires me to utilize the leadership and drive I inherited from her to make a difference in whatever career I end up in. There's no surprise she was listed as one of Wichita's 50 Most Influential Women in Sports by The Wichita Eagle.
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