Allyson McMahon

It is a profound honor to be inducted into the Portland Interscholastic League Hall of Fame. Representing the spirit, history, and competitive excellence of Portland schools is a privilege I do not take lightly.

This recognition is more than a personal milestone; it is a testament to the coaches who saw potential in me, the teammates who pushed me every day and a community that understands high school athletics as a foundation for character and life. I am proud to join this group of legendary athletes and educators who have shaped the legacy of the PIL. Thank you for this honor and for continuing to champion the importance of sports in our students’ lives.

·         I was raised in SW Portland in the Burlingame neighborhood and attended Portland public schools K’-12. There’s no doubt I was a handful with aggressive behavior and no direction.  Yet!

·         Any athlete will tell you nobody makes it to a Hall of Fame alone. You need a great team, unwavering mentors, and occasionally a little championship magic.

·         Long before I laced up my basketball shoes at Capitol Hill grade school, my journey in sports actually began on a dirt mound right here in southwest Portland, playing in the Mt. Sylvania Little League.  When they finally allowed girls to play baseball, I jumped right in. I ended up being the only female player in the league, taking the mound as a pitcher and holding down the infield.

·         Standing out there, as the only girl on the field, taught me early how to face challenges head on. It gave me the grit, the core skills, and the confidence that is needed to become a self-assured young woman. More than anything it opened up a gateway by showing me exactly what girls could achieve when given the chance to compete. My hat is off to all the young men who had to accept this.

·         That foundation brought me straight to the hardwood floors at Capitol Hill grade school. This was at the forefront of Title IX when doors were finally opened wide for girls to play, compete and claim space. We were among the first generation of girls to step through those newly opened doors. (Good job ladies). Under the fantastic guidance of Coach Goodman, we built something truly special. In fact, we built a basketball lineup that I am fairly certain the world had never seen before -- or since. For three straight years, all five starting positions were held by players who were twins. We were five individual starters who all happened to be twins.

·         On the court, that meant an instinctual chemistry that felt almost unfair to our opponents. My twin brother Allen cheered us on. Barb and Bev Mcbride brought unmatchable neighborhood athletic power to the team. And Karen and Shari Knapp brought a fierce competitive drive that later carried them to make history, pioneering into careers as professional jockeys at Portland Meadows and across the country.

·         We were just kids who loved the game, but the city around us was exploding with basketball fever. In the spring of 1977, our season concluded with a year-end banquet we will never forget. The Portland Trailblazers were on their way to their historical first NBA championship. We were right in the middle of “Blazermania.”

·         Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas walked into our banquet.

·         They two were larger than life stars at the center of it at all -- Yet they took the time to stand with a group of grade school girls and celebrate our season. I was lucky enough to hold the winning raffle ticket that night where Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas handed me a signed autograph basketball.  Snap shot of pure Joy.

·         That childhood magic eventually grew into a deeper understanding of leadership and role models when I attended Jackson high school. Having lived in Southwest Portland my entire life, I have watched generations of students look back at their time at Jackson with immense pride.  As students we were introduced to a faculty that showed genuine kindness and care.  As I learned back then those two qualities possess a unique power to change lives.

·         It was at Jackson that I met my lifelong mentor, Mr. Jim MacDicken, and later worked with another incredible leader, Mr. Mike Clopton.  Mr. Clopton is instrumental as a role model for the entire community. Mr. MacDicken is a real-world hero to generations of students, mastering the art of creating leadership roles that make young people powerful for their teams, and later for their families and society.

·         The most valuable lessons of my life were taught by him, and they became the ultimate blueprint for my career. Inspired by the kindness and given the tools for leadership, I had 18 wonderful years working directly with high school woman athletes right here in our community.

·         In my 18 years working with young athletes, my guiding belief was that genuine mentorship unlocks raw potential. Giving young women a structured space to compete teaches them grit and self-belief, instilling lifelong leadership skills that make them anchors for their families and leaders across our community.

·         The basketball Bill Walton handed me in 1977 eventually lost its air, but the legacy of the diamond, the court, and the classroom never left me.

·         I share this great honor with my two sons, Jason and Anthony. Raising them gave me a new kind of fuel and purpose. The men they became is my greatest gift in life and it includes three amazing and gifted granddaughters. Thank you to a great honorable mentor, Mr. MacDicken, my twin brother Allen, and the generations of high school women athletes I had the immense privilege to coach and guide.

·         Rip City forever!

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