08/17/2026
I woke up, feeling extremely grateful that I got to be a part of this surprise retirement celebration for my volleyball coach Shirley Diggs yesterday! Even after I left Colorado Sierra High School in 1987 she was still my coach mentor and someone that I looked up to and admired! She is one of the most passionate and hardest working women that I know. I actually could see what I wanted to be as a coach and an administrator at Sierra! She always and still fights hard for the people she loves and I watched her fight hard for our Volleyball team for equity and access for women and girls at such a time. We were fortunate to have a women principal at the time, Dr. Judith Smith and a Black women vice principal, who I called my Godmother of mentors, Ms. Q!!!! I got to live and work with them in the summer before transition to graduate school and I got firsthand experience with two women who breathed life into me when I needed it. When I became the commissioner The CIAA I would say that Coach Diggs and Ms Q helped me survive moments I wanted to quit life! The same principles as an athlete are the same ones she reminded me of as a leader 🙏🏾🙏🏾
I was 15 when she coached me through high school and she taught me to love the game and work hard. She believed in my 5’2” abilities to play like I was 6’0” 😂😂😂.
Congratulations coach! It’s no longer a fantasy! Retired coach and athletics adminstrator PGCPS. A lifetime commitment to making tremendous impact! I pray you enjoy this time to continue to love, laugh and do more for you. Yesterday’s filled room was a testament of 47 years of making a difference! Hope to see you more! Love you to life! 🥰🥰🥰
