Role models provide direction in sports and in life.

Although such a title is often reserved for popular athletes and coaches who have a profound impact in Western culture, anyone can be one.

Alyche Brown — a Leavenworth, Kan., native who recently completed her freshman season with Rogers State women’s basketball — learned that in surprising fashion earlier this year.

After helping the Hillcats to a 70-62 win over Northeastern State on Feb. 8 at the Claremore Expo Center, Brown was flattered to have caught the eye of a young fan.

She recently talked about the humbling experience during a segment of “Hillcat Student-Athlete Vantage Point”.

The 5-foot-7 guard tallied 8 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in the win, avenging an 80-61 loss suffered against the RiverHawks on Dec. 20.

“Right after the NSU game, we went into the locker room, and this woman came in with this little girl named Regina, and they said the whole time she was cheering for me,” Brown said. “She really wanted to meet me, and she was like, ‘Let me meet No. 12. No. 12.’ I was really shocked because being a freshman, I was like, ‘Oh, she wants to meet me?’

“Her being able to come to our game gave her a lot of hope because she also wanted to play basketball. Her seeing me — I’m small and stuff — gave her hope that she can do it, too, one day.”

Brown played in all 28 games of RSU’s 4-24 season, logging 12 starts along the way. For the season, she averaged 4.5 points, 1.8 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

Her best outing came against Rockhurst on Nov. 30 when she scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. She also managed 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in the 89-81 loss at Mason-Halpin Arena in Kansas City, Mo.

That won’t be the game Brown remembers the most when she looks back on her freshman campaign, though.

Instead, she will recall her encouraging and uplifting encounter with a young fan named Regina. That interaction made her realize that age doesn’t dictate one’s ability to become a role model, but rather a strong attitude and character.

Those qualities can leave a lasting impact on even the youngest of admirers.

“It was amazing to me, and it made my day knowing that she wanted to come see us play,” Brown said. “And she supported me when she didn’t even know who I was, so it just made me really happy.”

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