Mothers and Their Greatest Successes: Their Children
Sonya Curry
When we hear the name Curry, we think Steph of the Golden State Warriors or Seth of the Brooklyn Nets, but behind these great basketball players stands their mom, Sonya. Long before she became a mother, Sonya herself was a star athlete, earning All-Conference honors in volleyball her junior year at Virginia Tech. Fast forward to today, Sonya has had the privilege of watching Steph win three NBA championships and Seth rise to third-ranked in three-pointers in NBA history. It’s obvious that greatness runs in the family as Sydel, followed in her mother’s footsteps and played collegiate volleyball.
“My mom always made it known to appreciate what we have and where we grew up,” Seth said in an interview with Blazer’s Edge while he was on the team. “She always took us back home to where she grew up. We saw the environment. It instilled our core values in us, and she is the main reason we are the way we are today. She raised us on faith and to be grateful for everything.”
Annmaria Demars
Ronda Rousey is one to fear in the fighting ring, but have we wondered where she gets her strength?
AnaMaria De Mars made a name for herself in the Judo world when she became the first American to win gold at the World Judo Championship in Vienna in 1984. Three years later, De Mars gave birth to Rousey and the baby of one of the greats became a great of her own. While De Mars is now outside of the ring, she still came to her daughter’s aid, teaching Rousey her now signature move — an armbar technique that pins opponents to the mat. And even though we know Rousey can hold her own, her mom is still her mom.
"I do still worry that Ronda is going to get hurt," De Mars said to Daily Mail. "Of course I do! She's always going to be my baby."
Wanda Pratt
Basketball star Kevin Durant is known for his outstanding performance on the basketball court with two NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards, and one NBA MVP award. Durant is also known for dedicating his success to his mom, Wanda Pratt. Durant went as far as to call his mom “the real MVP” in 2014.
As a single mom of four, Pratt worked tirelessly to provide for her kids, and while money was tight, that never stopped her from cheering for all her children in whatever they did. And as we know, it all paid off in the end.
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“Never quit; a way will be made,” Pratt said in an interview with the Washington Post when asked what advice she’d give to other parents with talented kids like Durant. “He may have ended up as a postal worker or a coach at the rec center. There were things [Durant] couldn’t take part in; different camps, different trips that I couldn’t afford. You just have to make the sacrifices you’re asked to make, and if you can’t, you can’t. Don’t be too hard on yourself when you can’t do it.”
Oracene Price
Venus and Serena Williams are both professional tennis players who have achieved many things in their careers. It all started however when their parents began coaching them ever since they picked up their first racks. Oracene Price was a tennis coach prior to her switching her efforts toward her daughters, and while her coaching doesn't stop her from being a mom from the stands, she still teaches her daughters lessons that can be applied on and off the court.
"There's no such thing as pressure," Price said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. "As black Americans, that's all we've ever had. It's life. So where's the pressure?"
Connie Watt
Connie Watt is the mother of not one, not two, but three NFL players — defensive end J.J. of the Arizona Cardinals, and outside linebacker T.J and fullback Derek of the Pittsburgh Steelers. There was a time when all three Watt brothers played on different teams in different states in their professional careers, but even with an obstacle like that, Connie prided herself on being there for all her sons, no matter what.
"My mom is literally superwoman," T.J said. "No one will ever truly understand what she has done for my two brothers and I. To raise three sons in itself is an accomplishment, but to have three NFL football players is a whole new level. We would not be here without her love and support, and my dad too, always being there for us. We have been through our share of ups and downs, with injuries and all, they have always been there and been the backbone of this family."
Sandi Leroux
Before Sydney Leroux came into this world, her mother, Sandi, was making a name for herself. As a softball player on the Canadian National Softball Team, Sandi was a force to be reckoned with. But it was time for her moment on motherhood and put her focus on Sydney, who went on to play soccer professionally in Canada and the United States, and earned a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Fortunately, Sandi gets to revel in her daughter's success, having never missed a game.
"It had always been me and my mom since the day I came home from the hospital," Leroux said in an article featured on secsports.com.
Photo credits: Pexels, courtesy of Sonya Curry’s Instagram, Annmaria Demars' Instagram, Kevin Durant's Instagram, Wikimedia Commons, Derek Watt’s Instagram, Sydney Leroux’s Instagram
