Walk into the Center for Athletics, Recreation and Wellness (CARW) and you are likely to find Steve and Brenda Reynolds engaged in lively conversation with students and staff. For the couple, the gym is not only emblematic of their love for sports but also of their love for the Sagehen community.
For Steve, what began as a loose involvement with the Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) basketball team over a dozen years ago has evolved into a meaningful relationship, with him becoming their very own “support guy,” as he put it. “The guy who likes to be around the basketball players — that’s me.”
“What I like about it, it just happens real naturally as a function of being here. I don’t have to do anything … just be a part of the community. That’s it,” he said.
Born in Orange County, California, Steve competed in basketball and track at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. After graduating, his interest in sports continued, which became a cornerstone of his bond with Brenda. At the time, Brenda was working for Athletes in Action, an organization that recruits top athletes to major colleges. Steve fondly recalled going to games with her, recognizing these moments as what laid the groundwork for their relationship. Still, it wasn’t until many years later that this passion for athletics would bring him to Pomona College’s Voelkel Gymnasium.
Steve’s enduring commitment to athletics is matched by only two things: his passion for music and his love for his wife.
His childhood introduction to the saxophone sparked a lifelong musical journey, which eventually bore fruit with the creation of his collegiate band, TRAX. After graduating, he took a hiatus from music and began working in the aerospace industry. However, years later, his love for music resurfaced, bringing him to his true calling as a music teacher and performer.
One of his greatest joys has been sharing the gifts of melody and rhythm with his students. His latest project brings this passion close to home — literally. The couple is in the process of transforming their garage into a fully equipped musical space, the perfect place to share their skills with the community and welcome other musicians.
For Brenda, a talented pianist, music was also a point of connection. The pair met at church and quickly bonded over their mutual interests and values. The love that grew out of their shared musicality continues to shine, and they celebrated their 47th (chirp chirp!) anniversary this year.
Steve recalled how their relationship developed organically, emphasizing that “[Brenda] is a very kind person. The way she would treat me, of course, that’s a big part. And how you work together, get along together … and so I knew that all those things were lining up. I didn’t even think of it consciously. I was just naturally experiencing that.”
It was the little things, too.
“I like the way she dressed. I liked her hair. She has very thick hair and nice hair. And are those the most important? No, of course not. But they’re all part of what brings you together, you know, makes you interested in the other person,” Steve said.
Brenda worked in Pomona’s Career Development Office for years, which kicked off the Reynolds’ relationship with the Claremont Colleges. In the evenings, Steve would stop by the gym, throwing up shots while the basketball team warmed up nearby.
“I just would go in there and I’d see some of the guys shooting around and I’d shoot around on the side basket, you know, so I wasn’t in the way or anything,” he said. Eventually, he was invited to stick around during practices and became a familiar face to the team.
As time passed, Steve developed deeper connections with the players, getting to know their families too. These transient moments, spontaneous conversations and unexpected connections are the seeds that grew into the robust community surrounding the couple. Their relationship with the team continues to draw them back to their perch on the CARW couches, waiting to run into one of their many Sagehen friends.
When asked how he wants to be known, Steve labeled himself as “just a person who’s interested in others.” His genuine care for the community is apparent in his interactions with students, and the feeling is mutual — students running into the couple cite the way these interactions have brightened their day.
“They make me feel heard and they’re a nice presence to be around,” said Abhi Namala PZ ’27, a forward on the P-P basketball team.
For the young people he cares so deeply for, Steve has one piece of advice: “Nobody has an answer for all things you’re going through. You’re trying to figure that out, alright? So be true to yourselves. Be true to yourselves, your passions and what’s on your mind. Be true to who you are as a person and you’ll be okay.”
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