Avie Bridges

Professor

“SMC has always strongly searched for teachers who are willing to take that little extra bit of time.”

Avie Bridges was coaching in the pressure-cooker of Division I women’s basketball in Alabama and the stresses were mounting.“So I though I’d just move out West, teach high school and enjoy life,” she says. “But I really missed coaching and being available for my athletes. So when I read the ad in the Times, I jumped on it.” And she landed firmly on the court at SMC.

“I’m in my third year now as a full-time instructor and I’m the head coach of our basketball team,” says Avie. “And I really enjoy putting young women in a disciplined program and setting very high standards for them. It’s a pleasure to see them become self-disciplined and carry that confidence they get into their academics.”

Avie reports a good feeling about her team’s chances this year. “We’re young but we’ve got five players with solid experience,” she says. She loves winning as much as any coach but says, “at SMC it’s our job to help students move on to four-year schools. So we keep sight of the fact that academic study is critical to our athletes’ progress.” But her athletes do excel and she points to the high percentage of her players who go on to play at four-year schools. “And we’ve had several young ladies,” she adds proudly, “who have moved on with full scholarships.”

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