Editor's Note:  This is the third piece in series of stories shared by Gorillas to Gorillas as we all embark upon this new "season" in our lives. These certainly are unprecedented times, for young and old alike. Our hope is for Gorilla student-athletes, past and present, coaches and members of Gorilla Nation to read these pieces, awaken their Gorilla memories and then compose their own story to share with us. There is strength in numbers.
 
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Where to start…
 
The view from my Gorilla eyes has changed many times…I think that's why this is such a difficult piece for me. I started as a fan when I was in grade school. A high school recruit idolizing so many players in the late 1990's. A student-athlete in the early 2000's. A graduate assistant, turned assistant coach for 14 great years. And currently the head women's basketball coach. And each has such an array of memories. I can't really even begin to pick favorites… so I'm just going to do my best to create some flashbacks for some of you.
 
As a Fan/Recruit:
When I was a kid, I'd always be so jealous as I watched my brother jump in with his friends to go to the Pitt State football games on Saturdays. I remember getting the Pitt State National Championship football cards for Christmas.  I went to Steve High's Basketball camps in middle school, and I, of course, had every player sign my basketball and the back of my shirt. Jenni Miller, Lisa Cropper, Stacy Randolph, Jessica Abele, Jenny Pracht, Coach Amy Townsend…the list goes on. I was hooked. They were possibly THE coolest people I had ever seen. I would watch those same players in John Lance on game days, and try to imitate their moves at home. I soaked up as much time as I could with my high school basketball Coach, PSU Hall of Famer Sunny Pierce. She IS the coolest person I've ever met. I watched Oscar Gonzalez and Doug Gillespie highlights on the news as they won conference, and watched Steve High's conference championship team as many times as I could in 1996. I watched my dreams come true, as I got an opportunity to become a Pittsburg State Gorilla in 1999.
 
As a Student-Athlete:
My eyes see the Weede Building with the green track, the curtains dividing baseball and softball on the mezzanine, and the track team running circles around our basketball practice. Our team is on the main court and Coach High is probably giving me grief about my turnovers at the Rolla game. After practice I see our HHPR staff roaming the halls and the teams are shuffling around the weight room down the hall. I see the football coaches and Phil Carr playing racquetball. Dan (Wilkes) and Tommy (Riggs) chuckling as they walk down the hall with their sodas. One Big Family. If those walls could talk about all the good times, the adversity, and the competitors that created the scene, those would be some stories. I walk into training room 1 and visit with some of the volleyball players about attending their game. We always dressed up and tried to be as loud as possible. The football guys would notoriously get a game of pick-up going on the east end after weights. And the "cool" parking lot was on the East side (now the corridor to the Plaster). Cross country would always stretch outside on those steps. That was where we all would linger. We were in no hurry. Just hanging out. By the way, does anyone know what happened to that little red bench that sat on the west end? I thought of that just the other day. That bench had so many people sitting on it between classes. I'd pay some money for that.
 
As a Coach:
As a coach my eyes see freshmen come in as girls and graduate as women. The scenery is so familiar continuing at my alma mater, I see girls walk the same steps I've walked to classes, have the same teachers I had, stay in the same dorms, go to the same restaurants, even make some of the same mistakes.  Meet the love of their life, only to meet the next. I literally hear the same conversations I swear my friends and I had over 15 years ago. I've witnessed the loss of a loved one and even the loss of a coach in my great friend Tisharria Huggins. I'll never forget that day. Nobody has a play for that… You thought I was going to talk about the big wins or tough losses, well, those are important, but those are only part of it. The roads are rocky, but they are right when they say the roughest roads lead to the greatest views.  
 
Then I see them graduate, I write recommendation letters, they get their first job, I watch some get married, and I get to hold their babies when they come back to town. They drop me a line or, if I'm really lucky, they drop by our offices. I pin cards, notes, and pictures on my bulletin board like they're from my own kids, because, well, they are! I'm proud of them, and I miss them.
 
Currently with Covid-19:
This view is different. VERY different. There is definitely no play book for this. This week I should be giving high fives (what a simple concept that I'll never take for granted), playing "dummy" defense and being way inside the allowed 6 ft. "social distancing" parameter while coaching our players. We'd be having end of the year meetings laughing about memories from the season left behind, and setting individual goals for the upcoming year. I'd be watching our kids rush to class from workouts, checking in on Sammy's workout snaps from the plaster center weight room, meeting with Coach KO and Coach Roller about home visits with recruits we are really excited about.
 
But instead we are scattered. I'm looking at computer screens to do virtual meetings with players, conference calls, and these eyes have looked at more TV in two weeks then I've watched in a whole two years.  Though most of our girls can't get into workout facilities, I have loved seeing snap chats of them on their driveways, that old hoop that got them where they are now. Mom or Dad rebounding for them. This would never have happened before. There are parents enjoying the heck out of that second coming. Probably not even minding the extra laundry. Girls, you better be helping with dinner, the dishes and laundry. I see them running on their high school ball fields, roads, and finding their own version of weight lifting. Being resilient in their passion. FINDING A WAY. That's an important piece of character being built there. Resiliency. Getting out of their comfort zone. Pretty cool to see. Inspiring.
 
It's important to be together in this time. "Together" is different too… social media has gotten a bad wrap for a while now. Probably because we haven't used it to lift each other up like we are right now. I have a new respect for social media. And I'm thankful we have it. I've seen so many great things on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And I specifically enjoy seeing my players and what they are up to. It's all we got. It's our TEMPORARY "together." This is not forever. We can't "literally" be together. But we can still be united. United in our actions, in our goals, and in our efforts. I trust our players are doing this. And I hope you are too! This view will change. I believe the roughest roads lead to the greatest views.
 
Signing off… I want to say thank you to our frontline health-care workers, and all other "essential" employees. Talk about passion, resiliency, and inspirational. You are off the charts. MVP status! We can't thank you enough. Don't give in, and never give up! Keep leading. This is your shining moment! The heart break and the successes…Hang in there!
 
For the rest of us. show our respect for them by staying home and doing our part to stop the spread. And be what you want to see in the world. Be kind. Be patient. Be encouraging.
 
Amanda Davied
 
Amanda Davied recently completed her second season as head women's basketball coach at her alma mater, after serving the previous 14 seasons as the assistant coach at Pitt State. The Farlington, Kan., native was a three-time All-MIAA performer as a player for the Gorillas between 2000-03, scoring 1,229 career points and dishing out a school record 553 assists.
 
Please share your own personal stories/thoughts via email to dwilkes@pittstate.edu. We want to share them! (PSU Athletics reserves the right to edit content for space and appropriateness. We cannot promise to publish every submission, but we will do our best.) Thanks Gorilla Nation!
 

Through the Eyes of a Gorilla Archives
Vol. I - Dan Wilkes, Associate AD/Communications (Apr. 3)
Vol. II - Levi Wyrick, Football/Track & Field Athlete (Apr. 7)