As a U.S. Navy Commander in the Reserves and a coach with more than 20 years of experience, Theresa has built her coaching philosophy around one powerful truth: when young people are challenged with structure and supported with belief, they rise. She has seen a first-time freshman step into competition and grow into a State level athlete. She has watched a senior uncertain about the future gain confidence, direction, and purpose. For Theresa, these moments are not about statistics or trophies. They are about identity, ownership, and helping athletes see what they are capable of long before the world recognizes it.
Across track, cheer, basketball, gymnastics, football, and esports, Theresa blends disciplined military leadership with intentional mentorship. Through private coaching and partnerships with youth organizations such as aSTEAM Village (a nonprofit that provides hands-on STEAM education and programs for youth of all ages to build skills and prepare for future careers), she creates environments where girls and underrepresented athletes are expected to excel and empowered to lead. Through her continued involvement with Soldiers To Sidelines, she has transformed coaching into a meaningful extension of service beyond the uniform. Her commitment to representation, accountability, and longterm impact makes her a deserving Soldier Coach of the Month. Read the interview below to learn more about Coach Adair and her coaching journey.
STS: What sport(s) do you coach?
Coach Adair: I coach across multiple sports: Esports, basketball, cheer, gymnastics, football, and track. I currently provide private coaching for middle and high school athletes in Track and Cheer, and for Esports I work with all ages through youth organizations including aSTEAM Village.
STS: Which organization do you coach for and which level?
Coach Adair: I coach through a combination of private coaching and youth organization partnerships. For track and cheer, I provide private coaching to middle and high school athletes. In esports, I work with athletes of all ages through youth organizations such as aSTEAM Village.
STS: What is your coaching title?
Coach Adair: I serve as a Coach and Mentor, leading athlete development through skills training, performance coaching, and leadership mentorship—especially for girls and underrepresented athletes.
STS: How long have you been coaching?
Coach Adair: I have been coaching for over 20 years.
STS: Tell your story about how and why you got into coaching. Discuss how coaching has impacted you as a person.
Coach Adair: I got into coaching because of my own journey as an athlete. In high school, I competed in varsity track, gymnastics, and varsity cheer, and in college I continued the same sports but as a cheerleader, training, performing, and meeting demanding standards, just like any other sport. But at that time, cheerleading wasn’t consistently recognized as a sport, which meant I couldn’t access scholarship opportunities even though the expectations, preparation, and commitment were the same. That experience stayed with me. It showed me how easily girls, especially in underrecognized programs, can be overlooked, under-funded, or undervalued. Coaching became my way of changing that narrative. I coach to provide representation and mentorship for girls, especially those who are underrepresented, to ensure they know they belong in sports, can compete at elite levels, and can pursue anything in life—on the field and far beyond it. One message I consistently speak over my athletes is: “The future is female, and the future is now.” That message isn’t a slogan to me; it’s a call to action. I believe in creating environments that are supportive, communicative, emotionally intelligent, and advocacy driven, so athletes feel safe to grow, challenge limits, and thrive.
Note: In 2016, the International Olympic Committee designated cheerleading as a sport and assigned a national governing body. Additionally, 30 states recognized competitive spirit as a sport in the 2021-22 school year, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Participation Survey.
Coaching has shaped me into a stronger leader and a more intentional person. It has deepened my ability to build trust, communicate with clarity, and lead with both standards and empathy. Most importantly, it has reminded me that true success is not only measured in medals, but in the confidence and identity an athlete gains because someone believed in them first.
STS: How has your military experience influenced you as a coach?
Coach Adair: My Navy experience has strongly influenced how I coach and lead. The military teaches you to build culture through discipline, consistency, accountability, and teamwork, and I apply those same principles in sports. At the same time, the military also sharpens leadership under pressure—how to stay calm, communicate clearly, and lead people through challenge and uncertainty. I coach with structure and high expectations, but I balance that with mentorship and emotional intelligence because athletes perform best when they feel both challenged and supported.
STS: How has Soldiers To Sidelines impacted your life?
Coach Adair: Soldiers To Sidelines has strengthened my ability to continue serving—this time through coaching. It reinforced that leadership doesn’t end when the uniform comes off; it transfers. STS supports veterans and service members in stepping into coaching with confidence and community, and it validates what I already believe: coaching is a powerful form of service and impact.
STS: Describe a coaching interaction with a player, or group of players, that has a special place in your heart.
Coach Adair: One of the most meaningful parts of my coaching journey is watching a mentee discover what was already inside of them, often before anyone else is willing to see it.
One mentee had never played basketball or run track before entering high school. During her freshman year, she stepped into track and competed in the 100-meter, 200-meter, long jump, and triple jump. She didn’t just participate—she excelled. She made it to State her freshman year and returned every year after that, including placing third in the long jump as a senior and earning a scholarship to the college of her choice. What made it even more powerful was her family’s surprise, despite the fact that she always told them she could run fast. Watching her confidence finally catch up to her potential is exactly why I coach. It’s proof that when girls are supported, developed, and believed in, they rise. Another mentee came to me with a dream that many adults still don’t fully understand: becoming a professional gamer. Their parents didn’t realize esports was a real pathway until they spoke with me, and they asked me to begin one-on-one coaching. This was my mentee’s senior year, and at the time they had a 1.7 Grade Point Average, no plan for after graduation, and a family that felt frustrated and unsure of how to help. We started working together in November, focusing on structure, goals, accountability, and connecting their passion to a future. By spring, my mentee had raised their GPA to a 3.0, graduated from high school, and stepped into esports after graduation. They’re still a gamer but now have direction, building a future as a game content creator. These moments stay with me because they’re bigger than sports. They’re about helping young people see possibility, build confidence, and step into a path they can be proud of.
STS: What are your aspirations in coaching?
Coach Adair: My aspiration is to continue building pathways for girls—especiallyunderrepresented girls—to grow in sports and leadership. I want to expand the impact ofmy coaching beyond performance and into confidence-building, leadership development, and long-term mentorship. I also want to continue partnering with organizations and programs that prioritize youth development and access, while creating more visibility and opportunity for women to lead,a coach, and influence the future of sports.
STS: What was the most difficult challenge you have experienced in coaching and what have you learned from that experience?
Coach Adair: The most difficult challenge I’ve experienced is that there are few clear pathways for women in sports, and many women are forced to create their own opportunities because systems do not naturally make room for them. Too often, male athletes are fast-tracked into coaching positions, while appropriately experienced and qualified women are overlooked. Cultural stereotypes still influence hiring decisions, and many boards and leadership groups do not seriously consider women, especially in high-visibility sports roles. On top of that, the lack of women in sports leadership and decision-making—across government, federations, and international sports structures directly impacts visibility and career progression for women coaches. What I learned is simple and powerful: keep advocating, keep showing up, and keep building what doesn’t exist yet. If the pathway isn’t laid out, I will create it and I will bring others with me.
STS: Is there anything else you can share with us about your coaching story?
Coach Adair: Coaching is my way of serving beyond the uniform. I coach to ensure girls see themselves in leadership, in competition, and in spaces where they’ve historically been told they don’t belong. My mission is not just to train athletes, but to develop confident, capable young leaders who know they are allowed to take up space, lead, win, and dream big. Representation changes outcomes, and I’m committed to being that representation.
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