The Lady Raiders Deserve Your Support
Former Lady Raider Brittany Brewer has confirmed all that was apparently wrong with the former coaching staff.
Brittany Brewer sent a letter to a Lubbock newspaper saying allegations of an abusive, unhealthy environment within the Marlene Stollings coaching program. I think for Brittany, a former team captain for the team, to weigh in is incredibly brave.
Brewer is now in the WNBA. She has experienced a number of coaching programs, and knowing that she wanted to quit during her years at Texas Tech is a bit heartbreaking. You have to wonder if some other girls who could have furthered their sports careers fell by the wayside because they assumed this was how a top-tier program was supposed to be.
I was able to host the Lady Raiders at Nightmare On 19th Street. When Texas Tech athletes come as a group, it's a production. It's all prepped for and has all the excitement of rock stars arriving at a place. It's just like that...until they arrive.
When you meet the team up close, you realize that you're just dealing with a bunch of goofy kids (and I mean that in the best way possible). This is why claims that these girls just want to be in a "soft" program are so idiotic. The truth is, coaches take the place of parental figures, and when abuse creeps into the picture, it needs to be stopped.
There is a huge difference between making sure someone is highly practiced, and putting intense mental and emotional pressure on them. To me, this shows emotional immaturity on the part of the coaches themselves.
We've seen two ladies decide to hit up the transfer portal. I only hope their departure isn't due to some of the hateful online comments. I hope these ladies and the team going forward can count on your support and understanding as the team gets rebuilt.
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