LAS CRUCES, N.M. - "I've got something to tell you," assistant women's basketball coach Aisha Stewart told head coach Brooke Atkinson.
 
The two were in Dayton, Texas, on their way to watch Tayelin Grays, still in high school, play. Coach Atkinson wasn't sure what to expect but she wasn't upset when Stewart informed her she was pregnant.
 
"That's awesome," Atkinson remembered saying, "it's going to be a boy, I know it."
 
Atkinson, of course, was right and Stewart's son Alijah is now a fixture at NM State women's basketball games both home and away. Maybe you've seen him in the arms of a former player during games or imitating the ladies' stretching routine pre-game. Sometimes you can find him getting his ankles and wrists taped, with pre-wrap, by the athletic trainer. Basically, he's always around, which is no problem for Atkinson.
 
"One of the best experiences for me was when I worked under Amy Williams at South Dakota, she had two young daughters who were just always around," said Atkinson. "It was just normal to have your kids and your family around and if you look at our program, we're just one big family."
 
That kind of support from her boss, and others around her, has been important in helping Stewart raise her son while working a job that requires long, grueling hours both at home and on the road.
Alijah regularly travels with the team, staying calm and happy on long flights and late-night bus trips, oftentimes sitting with players or Atkinson.
 
"I have a really strong support system around me, with coach Brooke being number one on that list," Stewart said. "She loves that baby like it's her own."
 
Atkinson isn't the only one to extend a helping hand. Ryan McAdams' wife, Stacy, used to babysit Alijah, members of the team will pick him up and keep him entertained while he can always go stay with grandma for a few days.
 
"He's busy," says grandmother Miriam Stewart. "My thing is just keeping up with Alijah, he's something else."
 
Alijah is busy, happy and smart. According to assistant coach DeAudra Brown, he can already navigate phones and smartwatches to play his favorite games and he's not quite two years old. He's also independent, helping his mother with simple tasks such as laundry and bringing in groceries.
 
Stewart has had to adjust but ask anyone about coach Stewart and they will all tell you she was already motherly. Players, both current and former, refer to her as Mama Stew because of the way she cares for her players. Not only does she care about her players, but Stewart also serves as a role model.
 
"I think it's important for the girls to see that coach Stewart can be a mom and still live out her dream as a basketball coach," Brown said. "It really shows the girls that you can do whatever you put your mind to, that you can be successful and have a family at the same time."
 
Coach Stewart has proven herself more than capable at balancing the demands of coaching and parenting and has grown in the process.
 
"It was just me for 35 years and so I could get up and go to the store or go do this," Stewart said. "I think about him in everything that I do so the hardest part is being able to manage my time while still being able to take care of myself."