by Sarad Davenport | Photos by Kristin Finn
You know that feeling of being so in tune with something, it feels like therapy? For Jessica Carter, that’s sports. It’s her sanctuary, her outlet, her passion. And it’s the driving force behind HER Sports, an organization celebrating its five-year anniversary of empowering women and girls through athletics and community.
Jessica’s story is one of fierce dedication, not just to the game, but to the next generation. As the co-owner of a mental health therapeutic service business and a dedicated caregiver for her mom, Jessica wears many hats. But right now, her main focus is on pushing HER Sports to new heights, culminating in a big anniversary event that aims to bring the whole community together.
From Country Girl to Court Leader: The Early Spark
Jessica’s athletic journey started in the red dirt roads of Fluvanna, Virginia. “I’m from the country,” she laughs, explaining how her parents and relatives encouraged her and her cousins to be outside, active, and, often, a little dirty. With a basketball court in the yard thanks to her uncles, and a dad who worked on trucks, Jessica’s early years were filled with outdoor play.
Her first love wasn’t even basketball – it was baseball. A natural left-handed pitcher, Jessica played with all boys, a common theme in her early athletic life. “I was always that type of girl that wanted to get dirty,” she recalls. Her parents even incentivized her pitching prowess, giving her 25 cents for every strike she threw. She remembers leaving the field with bags full of quarters, sometimes upwards of $5.
“Baseball was my love at first,” she shares, even admitting she always wanted to play shortstop because that’s “where all the balls go” and you “gotta be quick with your hands.” This early immersion in competitive, often male-dominated environments, instilled a deep-seated competitive spirit in Jessica.
When she transitioned to Charlottesville City schools in fifth grade, basketball took center stage. She began playing AAU for Coach Brooks with the Mt. Zion Lady Cavaliers. This experience provided a foundational sisterhood and rigorous training. “Remember coach picking us up and then creating a sisterhood because the majority of a lot of the women around here were, were under him,” she recalls of her time with Coach Brooks, also noting that he “made us go to church” and sing in the choir, adding a unique dimension to their team bond. Playing with boys continued, shaping her mindset on the court. “I think I came out the womb competitive,” she muses, humbly adding that she always wanted to be the best version of herself. When boys “played soft” with me, she’d get mad. It was an instinct. She knew they would make her better.
The Power of Sisterhood and the Orange Floor
Jessica’s high school years at Charlottesville High School (CHS) under Coach Harry Terrell were legendary. She humbly played JV her freshman year, recognizing the abundance of talent on varsity. “I just knew I wasn’t going to get any playing time because, you know, we had Kandi, Shenika, it was Crystal, it was so many people on that team.” She used her time on JV to become a better leader and refine her skills.
Her sophomore year, everything clicked. The team went an incredible 28-0 and won the state championship. Jessica’s role was clear: “come off the bench and be that spark, be a…second string point guard” to Kandi and Shenika. She excelled, contributing significantly to their championship run. Over her entire high school career playing varsity, she estimates only losing “about three to four games.”
CHS basketball was more than just wins; it was a culture. “The cheerleaders, how the crowd came out, the orange floor,” she recalls, emphasizing that “nobody could ever take that from us.” They were, in her opinion, “by far the best girls basketball program in the state, hands down.”
One particularly memorable moment highlights the unique environment they navigated. A local newspaper article, penned by a Western coach who was also her gym teacher, referred to them as “a bunch of thugs.” Jessica will never forget it. “Now looking back, that really showed me the dynamic in how people viewed basketball. And I think that’s what sparked us. That’s what kept us together.” It cemented her lifelong pride in being “orange and black till I die.” She believes the CHS program produced “powerful women” whose strength still shows today.
Overcoming Adversity and Finding a New Role
Jessica’s college journey took an unexpected turn. During her senior year of high school, she tore her ACL while playing against Fluvanna High School. Despite continued play “being hard headed, being competitive,” the injury impacted her college offers. She had hoped to go to an HBCU like Morgan State, but her options dwindled.
Mary Baldwin, a D3 all-girls school in Virginia, kept calling. “I never thought I was going to go to D3 and the all-girls school,” she admits, having envisioned a different “college experience for basketball.” The gym wasn’t what she expected, and initially, she felt a strong desire to quit. “I called my mom and crying because I wanted like, I was so ready to quit.” Her confidence was shaken, especially due to her knee injury, which led her to play without a brace her freshman year.
But a turning point came her sophomore year. She started putting in the work, staying in the gym, and getting her teammates to join her. Her dedication didn’t go unnoticed. A teammate approached her and declared, “Oh, you’re the new point guard.” Just like that, Jessica embraced her new role as a scorer, something that hadn’t been her primary focus in high school where she was surrounded by other “beasts.”
She led Mary Baldwin to new heights, breaking records and retiring with an incredible 1956 points, just shy of 2000. She was an All-American D3 player and even had the chance to play against Kristi Toliver after graduating. Despite not pursuing professional basketball due to life hitting her hard, including her mom getting sick, Jessica looks back on her Mary Baldwin experience with deep appreciation. She graduated with a bachelor’s in sociology, and the “extension of sisterhood” and the close-knit community she found there made it a truly valuable journey. “God put this in my life for a reason,” she reflects.
HER Sports: Paying It Forward, One Girl at a Time
Jessica’s commitment to community work began in college, volunteering at the Virginia School of Deaf and Blind. Her heart was always with “the misunderstood.” After graduating, she spent 15 years serving the community in various capacities – working in women’s prisons, detention centers, group homes, and mental health schools. She was constantly looking for ways to make a difference.
The spark for HER Sports ignited while she was coaching at Buford Middle School. She saw a critical need for outside activities for girls, recognizing the “huge drop off” in female athletic participation. She knew firsthand the positive impact sports had on her life and countless other women in Charlottesville, whose stories often mirrored those of the girls she was working with.
She had a “core group of the misunderstood,” girls with “terrible attitudes” who wouldn’t have been playing if she wasn’t their coach. Working with them solidified her desire to create something more. The parents of her middle school and travel teams also pushed her, seeing the benefit of extracurricular activities. Jessica wanted HER Sports to be more than just basketball, incorporating the mental health aspect that was her professional background and personal experience.
When COVID-19 hit, she started small workshops, solidifying the need for an organization like HER Sports. Her research as a case manager for Region Ten confirmed that nothing similar existed. “I wasn’t going to reinvent the wheel,” she explains. Instead, HER Sports became a “mirror of what I’ve had” – an organization built on sisterhood, mentorship, and providing an outlet. The authenticity she brings, she says, comes from these experiences and the relationships she’s built over the years in Charlottesville and within the industry. It’s about “just paying it forward.”
Unity is Community: The HER Sports Awards
The HER Sports Awards is the cornerstone event for the organization, now in its fourth year. Originally a gala, it has evolved to focus more on its core mission: bringing the community together to celebrate, empower, and educate young girls and women in sports. It’s a movement to invest in women and girls’ sports, and the awards aim to unite Charlottesville, Monticello, Albemarle, and Western high schools in one building.
This year’s event at the Paramount aims to be more comprehensive, incorporating elements like “tunnel fit,” where girls express themselves through pre-game fashion, and music that not only inspires women in sports but also addresses critical community issues like gun violence and youth suicide.
Jessica’s call to action for the community is simple yet profound: “Unity is community.” She believes that instead of just talking about the need for unity, “we really just got to be about it.” She urges people to set aside egos and pride. “It’s so much that we can offer, but we’re offering too much, but too little production. It’s too, too little results because everybody is spread out instead of coming together.”
She’s not saying HER Sports is the only answer, but rather that it can be a vital part of a larger, unified effort. “Everybody who’s trying to serve youth, her sports can be a part of it, too, because we serve girls. And not only that, we have young men that volunteer.”
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Her heartfelt plea is for people to “just be in the building and show support.” Learn about HER Sports, see how you can get involved, and understand the profound impact they are having. She particularly acknowledges the strong support from men in the community.
Tickets for the HER Sports Awards are affordable ($15 for students, $25 for adults, with VIP options available). Every dollar raised goes directly back to the kids, funding programs and supporting a new scholarship fund in honor of Edward Brooks. This fund will provide sponsorships for athletes, athletic programs, and girls who can’t afford sporting gear or participation fees.
Jessica’s work doesn’t go unnoticed. Her dedication is making a tangible difference in the lives of young girls and women. She emphasizes the importance of checking in on one another, especially those who appear strong. “We all are out here trying to make a difference, but we do face our own struggles. And just a simple hello, checking in will be will be great for you.”
Jessica Carter is not just building an organization; she’s building a legacy of empowerment, unity, and unwavering support, one powerful woman and one determined girl at a time.