By Matt Browning

Brandi McClure of Minneapolis was chosen as the Eccentricity Mom of the Month for February. McClure is a mom to multiple athletes at Minneapolis, as well as being a coach.

“As a mom in an athletic program, I separate myself as a mom and coach,” McClure said. “When I walk in to practice, it’s all business (most of the time). It is hard sometimes for my kiddos, I’m sure, but they have learned to adjust. I make it clear that in the gym, I’m Coach McClure, but when they are at my house, it’s different.”

Game days can be a challenge for McClure, but she has learned to embrace it.

“We have to manage kids and where they go, who they are with and I have to get off of work in time to get things done,” McClure said. “I am fortunate that I can set my own schedule and have the flexibility to be a coach. It is just a way of life for us and always has been. When they say it takes a village, it’s true.”

Trying to find the balance between being a mom and coach can be tricky, but McClure thinks athletics teach both her and her kids valuable lessons.

“As a former athlete, I know that some of the best lessons in life are learned on a court, on a field or wherever the competition might be,” McClure said. “They all come in with different backgrounds and home lives and it is always challenging, but I think it is rewarding, as well. It is so important for all kids to learn the importance of striving for success and I believe the competitive playing field is the best way to teach some of them that if you want to be the best, you have to work for it.”