Former women’s basketball standout Leti Lerma is back to Bradley as the video coordinator/assistant director of basketball operations.
After playing professionally with CSU Alba Iulia in the Romanian league, Liga Națională, and with the St. Louis Surge of the Global Women’s Basketball Association and then joining the competitive atmosphere at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in sales, Lerma was ready for a change.
Originally, she was on the graduate assistant route and was prepared to attend the University of Illinois, but she couldn’t work with the basketball program rather in a vague premium seating role; something she had little interest in doing with the Illini.
“This position opened up and I knew I loved the coaching staff and I’d get to learn from them,” Lerma said. “Coming back to my alma mater felt like I was coming back home.”
Although she was involved with the program as a player in some down years (2013-17), she still enjoyed her time on the Hilltop.
Her first visit to Peoria came when Paula Buscher still held the head coaching position, yet assistant Michael Brooks was the only person to talk to her at the camp. She was confused and thought the program didn’t like her.
“[When Brooks was announced as the head coach in July 2012] I was like I loved him and the girls were great,” Lerma said.
Lerma was the only freshman on a team where everyone knew everything upon arriving. She had to learn fast. Fittingly, now she leads the charge of educating the team through creating and distributing the digital playbook.
“They just took me under their wing and I think that’s a big thing,” Lerma said. “I was just bought in from the beginning that you really do get a family feel here, not only from teammates, but your athletic director knows your name, your professors know your name and everything was perfect.”
That program is now winning and that’s because current head coach Andrea Gorski and staff have instilled a day in, day out hard-working culture.
“When I was playing it was more inconsistent, you really weren’t sure what Bradley team you were gonna get,” Lerma said. “Now it’s that consistency, that you’re going to get a team that’s going to play you hard, play you tough.”
For a short time, Lerma was the school’s all-time rebound leader. Until current senior forward Chelsea Brackmann broke her record on Jan. 17.
According to Lerma, she’s disappointed it didn’t stand for longer, but glad she has a relationship with the one who topped her.
“I think what is important is the legacy you want to leave behind and I never really cared about that record,” Lerma said. “It shows my hard work, but it’s even cooler that I know the person that broke it. I got to see Chelsea from summer workouts before freshman year to the player she is now.”
The two used to joke about how close their career totals were and Brackmann said she has long aspired to bring the work ethic Lerma possesses.
“Coming in freshman year, Leti and I were very close and I looked up to her a lot as a player and person … she helped make me the player I am today,” Brackmann said.
“When I came back [in August] it was the running joke in the office, like recruits would come in and be like, ‘This is Leti she is our leading rebounder’ and ‘coach would be like only 10 more games,’” Lerma said.
In Lerma’s final semester of eligibility, she was a “recruiting intern,” or rather, according to Lerma, an activity to keep her sharp for games and build for a career. It also gave her a start on a career in athletics, but she’s still trying to figure out what she wants to do.
“I had one class, so coach was like ‘You know you’re not going to just sit around and waste your time.’ She always wants to make sure we are prepared,” Lerma said. “I did a lot of learning how to create graphics, working with the recruiting coordinator, working on our social media and got to see behind the scenes.”
In her current role, she still utilizes those skills as well as her degree in psychology and two minors in social media marketing and management and leadership. Lerma said she breaks down practice film, gets the coaches personnel information and puts together the playbook so the team can have easy access on their phones.
She isn’t technically a coach, but has the ability to learn every day. She wants to create as many professional paths possible. Lerma is mostly a supporter on the bench at games.
“I have that relationship with [players] where it’s like ‘Hey try this little tidbit.’ I give them ‘A hey you got it, it’s okay type of thing,’” Lerma said. “I really like this position because I can really jump in and help, [the staff] are all teaching me a whole lot of different things. I’m the kind of person who wants to learn how to do everything. I understand I might not be great, but it’s good to have paths.”
