By Terra Avilla
Welcome to another “Why We Love This Place Wednesday.” Today, we are talking about the absolute force of nature that is Breyona “Bri” Millard.
I first met Bri in the chaotic trenches of Best of Broadway, where we served as volunteers—or, as we are lovingly known, “table moms.”
Not to toot our own horns, but between Heather, Kelly, and me, we thought we had the table mom game on lock. We were a well-oiled machine.
And then came Bri. With her teaching background, she had those kids ready to go with such flawless precision that it put us to shame. It quickly got to the point where I would just look at her in a mild panic and say, “Bri… I need you.”
Even my daughters who were in the show would ask me, “Mom, can Ms. Bri please be the one to help me?” And you know what? I was like… yeah that’s fair, I would want her too in this circumstance. She is consistently kind, incredibly capable, and just flat-out the best.
Plus, her daughter, Sydney, has easily become one of my favorite humans on the planet.
Fast forward to 8U softball. Coach Cassie West and I were sitting down to draft our team, and we both agreed on one core strategy: draft the parents. At this age, the softball part is manageable, but having good parents is everything. I immediately said, “We need Sydney and Bri.”
Cassie agreed Sydney was adorable, but she didn’t yet realize the absolute steal we were getting in her mom.
By the second practice, we had already put Bri to work. Turns out, managing a feral herd of 7- and 8-year-old girls requires a lot of reliable hands-on deck, and Bri effortlessly stepped into the critical role of Dugout Mom.
She shows up armed with snacks, sunflower seeds, extra mitts, and sunscreen like she’s prepping for a wilderness expedition. But it’s not just game-day survival; she helps us run practices so smoothly that the entire team benefits.
Many hands make light work, but Bri’s hands do so much lifting that they are not obligated to do. She is also wildly thoughtful. She even brought Peach her own bag of seeds as a thank you for “helping,” which is hilarious because helping is exactly what Bri is doing for all of us.
Beyond the dugout, you’ll spot Bri at any event where she can learn how to protect children or grow as a person. Somehow, I lucked out and she recently decided to try out the women’s Jiu Jitsu class. Let me tell you, she is good.
She joked that having an older sister prepared her for the mats, which is a survival tactic I can completely relate to. Just yesterday during live rolls, she took a solid bop to the eye. Everyone stopped, totally worried about her. She didn’t miss a single beat. Within five minutes, she casually looked around and said, “Hey… I could go again.” And she did.
Tough, thoughtful, and the ultimate team player. Bri makes everything she touches better, and she is a huge reason why we love this place.
