Fresh off another top 10 national finish in Florida, the Missouri State Sugar Bears are back at the Q, and cheering on the first place Bears, with the help of their very special new teammate.
“She loves dance, she loves dogs, she loves people,” said Kristi Constantine. “Her interests just come in experiences.”
Through Champions Committed to Kids, 11-year-old Emily Constantine, who has Down Syndrome, is an honorary Sugar Bear, but it wasn’t long until she was just one of the girls.
“She was a little shy, but then she warmed up to us when we gave her the pom poms and her eyes lit up,” said senior captain Megan Garcia. “It was in that moment when she came to us that her world changed and our world changed and she’s just been so great.”
For Emily, possessions aren’t important, it’s the experiences, and nothing makes her happier than a night with her girls and of course seeing that Bear head.
“Every time she sees a Bear head she gets really excited,” said sophomore Maddy Burkett. “She taps us and points and says there’s a Bear.”
College life may seem tough at times, but Emily and what she has accomplished inspires this team to take nothing for granted.
“She’s cheering with us,” said Garcia. “She’s giving us energy when we’re tired. We know we have to study and when we look at her and it’s like we can push through and do anything.”
Emily is a teammate, a bright spot to so many, but most importantly, she’s living out a dream, to be a Sugar Bear, just like her mom (Kristi) once was.
“She feels like she belongs,” said Kristi. “They’ve included her in everything from pregame, during the game, postgame to Christmas parties to other things outside of the games themselves. It’s a huge part of her life right now.”
And an experience she’ll have forever.
“I’m sitting next to her and she’s like no,” said sophomore Sydnie Reiter. “This is for me. I want to spell out these letters. And I said you go girl. I’m not holding you back.”
