ONCE A DADDY’S GIRL, ALWAYS A DADDY’S GIRL

I was one of those lucky kids who had a great but different relationship with each of my parents. My Mom was the smart and serious and responsible one and my Dad was fun loving and street smart and sometimes not so responsible.

My Mom was the disciplinarian in our family for sure and when I was bad (which of course was hardly ever) I would wait for my dad to get home from work at the street corner to tell him my side of the story first. I would rehearse exactly what I would say to my black cocker spaniel, Tar, and he would give me the OK or the sad eyed look that said, “He ‘ll never buy it”. I feared that look because it meant more work on my part 🙂

My Dad was a hard worker as was my Mom but I have to say there was nothing better than the end of a day when my Dad was finally home from work. I would start looking at the clock at about 4 PM and counting the minutes until he would walk in the door and give me the biggest hug of my life. 

My Dad was a salesman and he worked Monday through Saturday so Sunday was our day. Daddy was an early morning person and we had a ritual of going out to breakfast every Sunday after Sunday School. We had a favorite spot or two—a local deli where everyone knew each other was our favorite spot. We could be there for hours as my Dad chatted with his friends and my sister and I read the Sunday comics. My Dad would always introduce us to his friends as “his favorite girls” and we beamed. I have to admit I always liked it better when my sister didn’t get up early enough and so it was just me and my Dad. Lots of times our dog was with us and we would take him for a treat, a swim in the nearby ocean. He loved it!! Sometimes we would take a special drive all the way to Miami Beach to Pumpernick’s or the Rascal House restaurant and wait in line with the crowds. These were famous Miami places and so during tourist season it was VERY crowded. By the time we got home, Mom was awake and working on a project or on the phone with a friend and we would all be anxious to tell her what we did, who we saw and how far out Tar swam this time.

By this time our neighbors, the Hales, were home from church and we might all gather for some basketball and then maybe a neighborhood BBQ in the late afternoon. These were simple pleasures but meaningful rituals. Maybe not the most exciting things kids have ever done with their parents but there was fun in the predictable-ness of it. I knew that every Sunday my Dad would be home and we would be the center of his attention and have some fun.

I mentioned that my Dad was not always the most responsible. He had a few bad habits to be sure but to me he was my knight in shining armor. My Mom worried that I had my Dad on too high of a pedestal and that it was unrealistic. You might be reading this and thinking what an odd thing for a mother to say but it wasn’t and it was some of her best advice especially as I got older and it helped me keep my love for my Dad in tact and in perspective.

My Dad was also a gadget addict. We were always the first to have the latest gadget—whatever the hot item of the time was. In fact, my Dad had an office off the garage that was completely wired—a 60’s version of today’s hi tech room! I would sit in his big recliner and he would give me the headsets to wear while he worked and I was in heaven—being near my Dad and also listening to my favorite music. My Dad would be proud of my techi-ness today—I too have to have the latest gizmo though today they are called I- something!! My Dad didn’t teach me how to do wiring but he did teach me to be curious and always have a sense of wonderment about how things are made or how they work. He didn’t have to lecture me or speak specifically about each technical point but by being together I learned so much….just listening, just loving my dad!

My Dad was a salesman extraordinaire and wherever he went he always had a funny joke and a small gift for his clients. He never forgot someone’s birthday or anniversary and I tried to incorporate that same philosophy into my life and my work. It is because of my Dad that we always have something fun to give our Guests and we celebrate our stuffed animals’ birthdays.

My Dad passed away at 89 a few years ago after living a full life. To his dying day I was a Daddy’s girl and I knew it. My Dad always made me feel special and loved.  W e shared secrets and jokes. We didn’t agree on everything but we did agree on how important a father’s love is for his daughter and vice versa. It wasn’t the big things that made that known—it was the little things, the family rituals and simple things we did that reinforced what matters in life—LOVE!!

Happy Father’s Day Daddy—I know you are looking down on me everyday. Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there that love their kids and hug a lot!!

Hugs to all,
Maxine

MOM is WOW UPSIDE DOWN!!

 

Doris Hale, Maxine and Mom 1966

Mother-daughter relationships have been written about for centuries. They can be loving and turbulent at the same time. When two women share their Mom stories there is almost always understanding. Though we each have different feelings for our mothers and many are mothers ourselves, we get it!!

My Mother was a very special person. Raised by European immigrant parents, my mom, “Annie” as she was known to her dearest friends, was an incredibly smart and compassionate person. She was far smarter than most—graduating from high school at the age of 16. She worked in government service and had the good fortune to become the traveling secretary of choice for Eleanor Roosevelt during the early 40’s when Franklin was President. Mom was an excellent typist and took dictation faster than anyone. Her Gregg shorthand was impeccable. I have many pictures of Mom and the First Lady together at speeches and government events and my mother talked of the special confidence and relationship that they shared.

Eleanor had an impact on everyone she met and since my Mom was clearly guided by Mrs. Roosevelt’s politics and human caring, she impacted me as well though not directly.
When my Mom left government service to join my Dad in Florida after WWII, she took what she learned and applied it to raising her children and to her life’s work. Focused mainly on civil rights and the challenges of children with Down Syndrome my Mom set out to make the world a better place to be. She talked to me often about sharing with others and helping the less fortunate. It is my Mom that inspired our bearism, “It is better to gift than to receive.”

My Mom also had an enormous amount of friends and it is those friendships that had the most profound impact on my life and the friendships I have forged since childhood. Proudly, many of those friends are still friends today and best of all many of my Mom’s friends became my friends too. It is in this season of Mother’s Day (OK, I am a week late) that I want to say, Thanks Mom for teaching me the priceless value of friendship.

Many of my parent’s friends were friends that knew me from birth like my Aunt Tsip and Uncle Jake—they were our next door neighbors when I was born. They had two children close in age to my sister and me and so we stayed friends for life. In fact, my Aunt who is 93 is coming to St. Louis with her daughter Ellen and son in law Vern for her granddaughter Kate’s graduation from Wash U.

My mother’s closest friend was our next door neighbor in Coral Gables, Doris Hale and Doris was my second Mom. We were always very close even though she had 3 children and her husband Bruce who was the basketball coach at the University of Miami was a great second Dad. Our two families shared holidays, dinners out, trips to Dairy Queen and in more recent years some challenging times as well. Mr. Hale passed away in 1981 but Doris is still going strong at 90. She too will be coming to visit me next week and spend time with Aunt Tsip. You see one of the best traits my Mom had was sharing her friends with each other and so Doris and Tsip have been friends for many years too.

Aunt Tsip, Me and Doris May 21, 2010 Kate's Graduation Dinner

 

My Mom passed away in 1972 at the age of 56 when I was in my early 20’s and life has never quite been the same. I have had to imagine in many instances what my Mom’s advice would have been because she would have always been right (Mom’s are ALWAYS right—I do know that). Other times I can call  or email Aunt Tsip and Doris and ask them because they would help me interpret what Mom would have advised or at the very least, give me their version. It has never led me astray.

My girlfriends have also shared their Mom’s (and their daughter’s) with me too and that has been special. So like my Mom’s world mine is filled with friends young and old, wise and less experienced but each add value to my life in untold ways . My friend Elaine shared her Mom Elsie with me until she passed away and also her daughter Katie (my BABW inspiration)—so I have had the best of both worlds—a loving Mom and second Moms and Mom’s of my friends to help shape the person I am today.

Today Mom friendships are growing exponentially thanks to the web. I am friends with Moms of our BABW Guests from all over the world as well as Moms I have met on Facebook or Twitter or at speeches I have given around the country. The connection between two women is special and to all of you thanks for including me in your world. And while many of us have not yet met in person or met very briefly, you too help me be all I can be.  Happy belated Mother’s Day!

Hugs,
Maxine

Ola Mexico!

Kathi , Aurora and our friend Costanza and her pony

We received our first request to open stores in Mexico in 1998 and it has finally happened! Our first store of many to come officially opened at Centro Sante Fe Mall in Mexico City on April 23. Our Mexican partners did an excellent job on all fronts and our Manager Aurora is going to be outstanding. It was worth waiting for this team.

We arrived in Mexico City on Wednesday afternoon and already the excitement was in the air. The Friends and Family party for our associates was a hit. Our best advertisement for our company is almost always the people who work in our stores and their families. As a tradition we start every store off with a special night for our families and it was great to meet everyone especially the Pena Family who are the majority owners of the franchise for Mexico.

Maxine, Victor and Jose

Thursday as spent with the media and we had great interviews. In Mexico the press was very welcoming and positive and asked great questions. Build-A-Bear Workshop already has a great name because people in Mexico have shopped us all over the world and they are muy excited to have us in their home country. Thursday night we had a special party for the media and their kids and that was amazing too. The press was very excited to be able to bring their children and
I made lots of new friends.

The long awaited opening day was on Friday at 11 AM. The crowd started gathering at around 9 AM and people had come from all over Mexico to help us cut the ribbon. Many, many kids brought their well loved bears and told me stories of their visits to London, Disneyland, San Antonio, Houston, Orlando and so many other BABW cities. I also got to meet many of my facebook and twitter friends in person like Cynthia and Isabel.

Maxine, Beto, Cynthia and Isabel

I was so glad to be back in Mexico. The people are so welcoming and warm and best of all they love shoes (high, high heels too) and teddy bears—my two favorite things. The first time I visited was in 2004 with one of our partners, Frank Vest, and we shopped this very same mall, Centro Sante Fe….a great mall then and even better now.

By favorite photographer, and my husband, Bob was there to take pictures and be sure the store looked PAWFECT!! As usual Bob won the hearts of all and he is now known as Beto by all his Mexican friends.

Bob and his bear Beto!

Thanks to our great staff lead by our manager Aurora and to our franchise team. You did us proud! To all our Guests returning and new, muchas gracias. I will look forward to visiting again soon and often.

Hugs,
Maxine

RAISING CHARITABLE CHILDREN

Since starting Build-A-Bear Workshop in 1997 I have met some amazing children and their families. Many inspire me to work harder for my community and harder for the less fortunate. Like Taylor Crabtree who has done so much for kids with cancer since she was 7 and now at college or Lucy Amrhein a young, kind caring woman in Maryland.

Our Huggable Hero program was born of this desire to encourage and reward young people to give back to their communities. When a child gives, the return on investment is hugely magnified—maybe by 300 times. Each winner—10 winners per year x the past 6 years wins $2500 for their charity could mean –that could mean per $ invested, we have helped raise $45 million for causes supported by kids…. WOW!! In addition we also give each winner a $7500 scholarship to help pay for their college education.

How did these kids separate themselves in this special way? I have been thinking about this a lot lately and coincidentally ran into my friend Carol Weisman who wrote a book “Raising Charitable Children” and I asked her.  She said,  “Look at your own life Maxine, what most influenced you.”

1)  My mom took me with her to her charitable activities—as much as it wasn’t always my favorite thing, I went and I learned a lot! To Hope School, to sit-ins at the Woolworth’s in DT Miami, to the Democratic Convention in Miami Beach…. So many wonderful memories of things we did together that mattered!
2)  My mom always shared with me how she gave back to the community starting with her work during WWII with Eleanor Roosevelt and Rose Kennedy
3)  My parents raised me with a faith in God and to do the right thing. Again lots of Sunday school classes I didn’t love but they did help me gain a better ethical view of the world. Whether you pass the plate for donations at church or collect change in the Tsedekah box, charity is often an important part of faith based learning, at least it was for me.
4)  We always ate dinner together and talked about our day. Much of my Mom’s day was spent in fund raising and advocacy for children with Down Syndrome
5)  Best of all my parents let me decide what I wanted to give to—how I wanted to make a difference

Pretty simple stuff really but what it gets down to is charity was part of our family culture. We were far from rich but we were billionaires in intellectual curiosity and world wide caring for others. Little did I know how our family culture—those 5 simple acts done over and over, would impact me in my adult life.

This week is a big week for St. Louis and for my husband Bob and me. Casa de Salud, the health and wellness clinic he has masterminded for St. Louis in partnership with Saint Louis University will have its official grand opening this coming Friday. He has done an amazing job and bringing together various health organizations in this collaborative effort. I am so proud of him and his passion for this segment of our underserved population.

Next Sunday I will introduce Talia Leman age 15, a 2007 Huggable Hero (she was almost 12) who will be in St. Louis to speak and inspire children as part of the Lee Institute founded by my recently deceased friend, Des Lee. Talia founded RandomKID and believes that ANYone can stand up and change the world—even a child. She not only raises money to do wonderful things herself but shares her money (over $10 million raised so far) with other children so they can do amazing things too. Truly the power of 1+1=10! Talia’s mom Dana is a wonderful supporter of Talia’s efforts and reminds me in so many ways of my mom and me and the difference we made together.

Today while I was checking my tweets I saw a request for ideas from SVMoms to help families raise charitable children—I had to respond. My suggestion, do it together as a family. The family that volunteers together stays together!

I am putting the outline together for my next book–“Becoming My Mother’s Daughter –Raising a Child With Heart”  Thanks to all the parents and children who have inspired me to live a life of  purpose and sharing.

Hugs to all,

Maxine

IT’S A MAD, MAD MARCH IN ST. LOUIS!

This past weekend the Lady Bears of Washington University in St. Louis won their Div 3 National Title against Hope College. It was a great weekend and a great win. The girls really played well and truly won the game totally! It was a proud night. Title IX showed its true value tonight watching these strong, beautiful women play exciting basketball.

We stayed with the team and parents and celebrated their success. It was great to see the men’s team and coaches there as well supporting their team. The men were eliminated in an early round which was very disappointing having been National Champs for 2008-2009. It was a lot like the Kansas loss…unexpected and very sad!

This week it’s basketball big time in St. Louis as the Sweet Sixteen men’s games come to town. It won’t be as exciting without Kansas but many Northern Iowa fans will be in town. Great for business as the tourists also go shopping. The Zoo and the Science Center will sure to have lots of visitors who want to make bears and dinos!

Also great news is that Saint Louis University men are progressing in their CBI Tourney. They won tonight against Princeton and are maturing as a team. They are all young so lots of great basketball in their future.

I am a student of the coaching that goes on in basketball—especially college basketball. I hope these kids will look back on this learning experience as more than just sports coaching and see it as life coaching.

It is officially Spring and I think the consumer has begun to come out of their winter and economic hiatus. The malls are much busier and people are carrying shopping bags and cub condos!! Two big weekends left until Easter. Blossom bunny is a hit and I have to pick up a few extra for Easter basket gifts too. She also has the cutest outfits.

I am in NYC just for the nite and went to a dinner of some very special retailers. It was great to see some old friends and meet some new ones, especially those in the .com space. I learned a lot and look forward to meeting some of these people again soon. It is even more fun to meet people who run companies where you shop and can appreciate their products and their hard work. It is also rewarding to hear all their stories about their kids loving Build-A-Bear Workshop and buildabearville.com:)

Have a great week and Hoppy Easter and have a Pawsome Passover.

Hugs,
Maxine and Blossomtina (my bunny)

LUCK OF THE BEARISH

Ok, it’s a day or so after St. Pat’s Day and true I am not Irish but I feel BEARY lucky. It’s March, my birthday month, it’s almost Spring, It’s March Madness and there seems to be a kick in everyone’s step vs. this time last year. Not that the economy is fixed—far from it and bad news seems to make headlines everyday. I have decided enough already!! We need to get on with making things better—it’s a new normal and using that as a starting point, we are getting better!

We always have fun with St. Pat’s Day at Build-A-Bear Workshop—a cute shamrock bear, leprechaun and Irish dancing outfits abound. Just around the time of my birthday we launched our Easter and Spring merchandise that is the cutest I have ever seen and this weekend we bring back Alvin and add a stuffable Brittany along with her Single Ladies song. She is truly adorable and I love the song—it makes you want to sing and dance!

As many of my friends know, I am a college basketball fan and my favorite teams are local—The Wash Bears and the Saint Louis University Billikens. My husband and I have a great time going to the games, getting to know the parents and the players and watching good teamwork. Wash U men’s lost in the early rounds and it was a shock after being #1 for 2 years. Ladies are onto the semis this weekend in Bloomington, IL and the Billikens are in the CBI tourney and won their first game over Indiana State. Bills should have gotten a NIT bid having had such a good record but the team is young and there is time for them to mature.

Tonight I was getting a manicure and one of my friends was there with her daughter and her friend who I had not yet met. They were very excited BABW fans and boy did they make me smile. Adorable girls—11 and 12 and still love their stuffed animals. AS IT SHOULD BE!!

A new book is just being published that includes BABW—The Risk Takers http://www.risktakersbook.com/ Some of my favorite brand founders are inside as well as a fellow St. Louisan, David Steward of World Wide Technologies. BEARY cool for St. Louis.

Have a great weekend and good luck to all the teams in NCAA tournies especially the Lady Bears!

Hugs,
Maxine

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? EVERYTHING!!

This past Friday I attended a social media conference sponsored by Disney in Orlando. It is no secret that I attend a lot of meetings, conventions, events where I am asked to speak.  I always walk away making new contacts, new friends and learning a lot but this time it was A LOT—I mean really A LOT!!! A lot of new knowledge and many new friends.

I was introduced to this conference by my friend Maria Bailey—the wonder woman connector who helped us launch our BABW furniture line with Pulaski a few years back. Maria is an incredible marketer but also a kind woman and a business person who takes great joy in making connections. She practices what we call at Build-A-Bear Workshop 1+1=10. That means that when two partners work together they come up with something 10X more powerful than they could accomplish alone. Maria works with the best brands in the world and we are honored she is our friend.

Now to the conference: I started off the day on Friday and I wanted to be sure all the Mom-preneurs in the room could see themselves in the success of Build-a-Bear Workshop. One because they are a reason we are successful literally and two because with a clear vision and plan and hard work, we can all make our dreams into reality. Many of the moms present are on their 2nd or 3rd career—serial entrepreneurs so to speak. Today as CEO of their families they face the hardest task of all and they know it. Along comes social media and a way to connect with other Mom CEO’s makes it much easier and a lot less isolated. They are willing to share, experiment and best of all they are REAL! They represent all kinds of families from all parts of the country and all walks of life determined to listen, learn, unleash their power and make a difference.

The other speakers were amazing—Marissa Jaret Winokur from Hairspray fame, Kathy Ireland and Chris Brogan. When all were done it felt like you had known each other forever. I think that is the power of being in a group of women—the nurturing adrenaline takes over and all you feel are hugs.

Yes, even Chris Brogan, SM guru extraordinaire, felt the love. He was amazing. While I followed his blog and read his books he is even better in person. He gets the REAL side of social marketing and he shared that with the audience when he told us to think “not hands out but hearts together.” It reminded me of my friend Tom Peters who long ago spoke out about the power of women as consumers. All we needed was an internet that recognized the power of women and our natural bias towards connecting. Thanks to Twitter and Facebook our time has come! Chris, your measurement of the ROI on love is music to my ears. I have spent 12 years building a company with heart and there have been many naysayers along the way. Thank you for your resounding acknowledgement that ♥ matters!

A very special thanks to my Disney VIP escort, Debbie Ernest. Boy does she know about Guest service. It was a pleasure to spend time with her and to WDW our hosts. Thanks for another Disney WOW.

To all my new friends and some ‘old” ones who I know have met in person I look forward to creating many new stories together. Yes, love has EVERYTHING to do with it!

My new friends-- Made my day!

Hugs,
Maxine

LOVE. HUGS. SMILES.

When I was a little girl I always looked forward to Valentine’s Day. It was always fun to pick out the Valentine’s I wanted to give to my classmates and address them all. When I was in elementary school we decorated a box so we could all get our Valentine’s delivered. Sometimes there would be one that wasn’t signed and you always wondered was that from a shy boy or someone who just forgot to add their name. No matter really—it was always nice to know someone, even an anonymous someone, cared enough to send me a Valentine.

My Mom and Dad always gave my sister and I a Valentine and sometimes a chocolate treat. Rarely was there anything else. When I created Build-A-Bear Workshop the childhood holidays I loved were a part of what we created to sell at Build-A-Bear Workshop. I am not sure why I feel this way but I think if Build-A-Bear Workshop existed when I was a child my parents would have made me a stuffed animal with a heart tee shirt or a special Valentine’s themed dress. My Mom would have loved Build-A-Bear Workshop. She loved crafts and fashion and she would have found the clothes we make for our furry friends a delight.

Valentine’s is one of those fun holidays. Yes, it suggests love or BEARY special friendship. It is a huge “Hallmark” holiday and a big event at our company too because people more than ever want to find a fun way to say, “ I like you, “ “I care about you,” or yes, “I Love You.” A stuffed animal is a soft and cuddly way to say these things—meaningful but not so serious that it is a lifetime commitment. Memorable, but light hearted. Smile making!

Another fond childhood memory I have is from the 6th grade. My friend Joan had a Valentine’s party. I remember picking out my best outfit to wear. I felt so grown up! On the sliding glass doors she had pasted 2 huge hearts for a photo-op background. I still have the picture they took that night—one of me and Mike Davis..my heart throb of that moment. Lucky for me, Mike and I are still friends and I have more than that picture to remind me of that special night and our very long friendship some 49 years later. The best part about the picture is it captured that moment of innocence for me to look back on as an adult and best of all to appreciate. I was so happy that night—life was perfect. Being 11 is not easy back when I was 11 or today but there are lots of moments to remember and smile about and if you are 11 today, even if life seems very hard to manage with school and friends stop and savor the good times so you will remember them for the future.

Valentine's Day-1961 Maxine and Mike

At 11 you feel everything 100 x over. Sometimes I will pull out my diary and read what life was like on the exact date some 30, 40 or 50 years ago. My diary was an honest record of what I was feeling or hoping for so when I read it now it amazes me how serious I was back then and how worried about the littlest detail. Everything seemed so important! It was like the world revolved around me and my “issues.” I learned soon enough that it didn’t. I grew up and found out that life goes on and gets better and better.

I am still connected to my hometown through friends and teachers. My roots are deep and keep me grounded. Just like this picture of Mike and me about 12 years ago at one of our high school reunions. Still friends after all these years. We both have lifelong Valentine’s now—I have Bob and he has Niedra and we all enjoy being together too. How lucky we are to have created a basis for love and friendship so young that has lasted us a lifetime!

Maxine and Mike CGHS '67 Reunion 1997

Happy Valentine’s to all.

Hugs,
Maxine

THE BEST HEROES ARE TRULY HUGGABLE!

We’re all citizens of the world, and I think it’s our responsibility to make it a better place. The great news is that today, more than ever, young people are stepping up to make a difference in communities near and far. Each year for the past six years, Build-A-Bear Workshop, through our Huggable Heroes program, has searched for and recognized young leaders who make positive contributions in their communities or around the world. Throughout the years, we’ve heard thousands of amazing stories of young people, like you, who do things both big and small to help improve other peoples’ lives.

The seventh annual search for Huggable Heroes, ranging in age from eight to 18, is now on. Anyone AND everyone, ages eight and above, is eligible to nominate a candidate (and you can nominate yourself) by visiting buildabear.com/huggableheroes or picking up an entry form at a participating Build-A-Bear Workshop store in the United States and Canada. Nominations will be accepted through Feb. 26, 2010. 

Past Huggable Heroes have included such inspiring young people as Patrick, Zach, Talia, Brittany, Robbie and Jenna — there are 69 young community leaders that have been honored since 2004 and I am proud to say they are all my friends. Their projects have ranged from helping children in underdeveloped countries to supporting cancer and diabetes research, organizing toy drives and sending care packages to our troops overseas. You can read all of their stories and see a touching video at buildabear/com/huggable heroes. Plus, if you go to buildabearville.com you will see Katie, one of our Huggable Heroes from last year, interviewed on The Chloe Show and featured in the Bearville Times.

This year, 10 Huggable Heroes, between the ages of eight and 18, will be selected from the United States and Canada. Each will receive $10,000 (a $7,500 educational scholarship and $2,500 to donate to a charity of choice). In addition, the Huggable Heroes win a trip for themselves and a guardian to St. Louis, the home of our World Bearquarters. During their visit, they will meet each other, be honored for their good deeds and participate in a photo shoot for the 2011 Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes Calendar. It is definitely my favorite event of the year!

Each of our Huggable Heroes proves that a single person can make a difference. They’ve strengthened my own resolve to give back. I look forward to hearing how you are making our world a better place, too. We recognize 75 semifinalists and 25 finalists during the selection process as well, so, again, please enter today and tell your friends and family too!

Hugs,
Maxine

Love. Hugs. Peace

THANKS TO COACH HALE & COACH GRAY!

Tonight I was honored to be the guest Coach for the Saint Louis University Lady Billikins who are in Division I Atlantic 10 Conference. We played Rhode Island which was undefeated in our conference this year and we won 64-50—BEARY exciting!!

In the Huddle with the coaches

Last year I met Coach Shimmy Gray and one of her players Lauren Woods and we bonded. While I am just 4’10” I have always loved to play basketball and also enjoyed being a spectator. I especially love college basketball and women’s basketball is even better! To see these amazing young women, so bright, beautiful and athletic compete is a thrill. Thank goodness for Title IX and all the benefits of equal access to sports for female athletes.

People are often surprised to hear I am such a basketball nut—well they have Coach Bruce Hale to thank for that. I grew up in Miami, Florida right next door to the basketball coach of the University of Miami. In those days there was no college basketball for women. Coach Hale was an outstanding coach on the court and off as ne mentored and encouraged his players to make the most of their academic and athletic life as a Miami Hurricane player. In his spare time he coached us neighborhood kids –girls and boys. Little did I know that the way he motivated us was by starting the net down low enough for us to be successful and then little by little raising it so we were never intimated by how far away it looked! Once you get used to the high of winning, it is addictive and you keep pressing on. That is how I have looked at goals ever since—not as intimidating but as a challenge and absolutely not out of reach with the proper level of practice!

Coach Gray is a similar kind of coach. She values the individual in each young woman but she knows they are capable of more and so she helps them see what is possible for themselves and helps encourage them. Her theme in the locker room tonight was to go for the big fight– with the big goal of winning. We had home court advantage but they were a very good team who I think may have come in a little cocky. I good coach doesn’t ever let their team get too sure of themselves. Of course, you have to believe you can do it, but not that it is a slam dunk 

In September Doris Hale (the Coach’s wife) was in town to celebrate her 90th birthday with my husband and me. On Sunday during her visit we went to SLU to see the Lady Billikins work out and get a tour of their facility. We had a great time. She too had a love for basketball as she was a high school player in San Francisco at Galileo High School in 1935. I called her tonight to tell her I had won one for Coach Hale ! Finally, I got to “play” college ball. I know Coach Hale was looking down on me and my team and cheering us on—after all he was the one who gave me my nickname—Tickety Taxi because I was always fast on the court. Thanks Coach Hale for all you taught me about sportsmanship, setting goals and hard work. Those principles have never let me down. Thank you Coach Gray for your faith in these young women and all you do for womens’ sports. You are my hero!!!

Hugs to all,

Maxine