Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 24, 1994 TAG: 9403020192
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BRIAN DeVIDO STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
It is game day for these three. Soon, they will get on a bus and travel to Rocky Mount, where they will play basketball against Franklin County High School, a Roanoke Valley District opponent. One of the girls plays for the varsity; the other two for the junior varsity.
When the game starts, some spectators won't even notice that something is different about these girls - not unless they're paying close attention to the sideline. There is a varsity coach and a junior varsity coach, both of whom do their share of yelling and pacing as the game progresses. There are referees. There is a regulation basketball.
There's also another man pacing the sideline with the Patrick Henry coaches. He is tall, athletic and in his late 20s. He usually is busy gesturing with his hands to a couple of the players, the hand movements becoming quicker and more deliberate as the action in the game intensifies.
He is a sign interpreter. The three girls are deaf.
Tammy Lester, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, is the backup center for the Patriots' varsity squad. Kelly Short and Heather McClure, both 5-1 freshmen, play guard on the junior varsity. This is the first year at Patrick Henry for all three.
Two of a kind
Short and McClure have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Both are almost totally deaf. Short was born deaf, while McClure lost her hearing at the age of 1 after developing a high fever.
Both have attended public schools all their life. They went to Woodrow Wilson Junior High School, where they found they had a lot in common with other girls. ``Sure, we're like other kids our age,'' McClure said, giggling. ``We like basketball.''
Both have made a smooth transition to playing for Patrick Henry's junior varisty, which has posted a 9-7 record this season.
``Heather and Kelly can read lips and speak pretty well,'' said Patricia Sheedy, Patrick Henry's varsity head coach.
``None of the girls on JV know sign that well,'' Short said. ``But they talk, and I talk back. Sometimes, we act out things. My biggest problem is trying to make a basket.''
Changing schools
The transition to Patrick Henry has been a bit harder for Lester, who became deaf after suffering a high fever when she was 2 months old.
Before enrolling at PH, she attended the Virginia School for the Deaf in Staunton for six years.
``There was a lot of fighting, a lot of violence there,'' said Lester, who also is almost totally deaf. ``I like the interaction with people at Patrick Henry. I prefer to stay here.''
Unlike Short and McClure, Lester didn't attend public school and doesn't read lips well. She was apprehensive about playing varsity basketball for the Patriots, who are 0-18 this season, but Sheedy had confidence in her.
``She had size and a lot of skills,'' Sheedy said. ``All three played in our open gym since September, and there was no interpreter there. They did OK, though.
``At first, a couple of girls took Tammy aside and made sure she had someone to sit with on the bus. They didn't have to do that, because she had an interpreter there to sit with. The other girls have been really good about making her feel confident. I couldn't put her out there if the other four kids on the court didn't want to help her out.''
Lester, who works at a Hardee's restaurant on weekends, said she feels more comfortable now.
``On the first day of practice, Elisha Jones and Shannon Harmon [two varsity players] said they wanted to learn sign language,'' she said.
An understanding developed among the girls.
``I've learned,'' Jones said. ``You learn something new every day. She's [Lester] funny. She imitates me all the time.''
The interpreter
Greg Camp began helping people at a young age, when he worked at camps for the deaf during the summer. His parents were foster parents for deaf children, so Camp learned sign language early.
He also learned, after working in hotel sales, that he wanted something more out of life.
``I never really thought about being an interpreter,'' said Camp, 27. ``I never thought about getting money for it. The job here came open last year. I saw the ad in the paper and responded.''
Patrick Henry has hired five people - four interpreters and a lead teacher - for its hearing-impaired program, which serves 10 students. The program is not new, but having deaf students who play basketball is. Camp works as an interpreter for the three girls in the classroom and on the court.
``I think it's a good experience, not only for the them, but for the other girls on the team,'' Camp said. ``When a timeout is called, fans will look over right at us.
``I tend to become very involved in the game. As the coach yells with inflection, I do the same with sign language. I think for the first time we've actually had some older hearing-impaired people in the community come to our games. It's been a very good educational tool for the community.''
Communication gap?
There have been problems, though, especially during games. Camp stands on the sideline with the varsity or junior varsity coach. When the coach wants to switch an offense or defense, Camp first must get the player's attention. Then, he must sign the change.
It's even tougher than it sounds.
``The hardest thing is if I want to change an offense or defense, I can just yell quickly to the other girls, but with Tammy, I have to get her attention,'' Sheedy said. ``I also have to tell Greg what change I'm making, then he'll tell her.''
Other problems abound for deaf athletes. What happens if a whistle is blown and the athlete doesn't hear it? How do they know when to stop playing? What if a teammate is open and is calling for the ball? ``It is difficult to watch for the changes,'' Lester said. ``But teammates will tap me on the shoulder sometimes when the whistle blows. And if we're open, we clap. It's become easier now.''
Said Sheedy: ``Tammy will call for the ball and call for a pick. That's because she feels confident.''
All three can hear some sounds with hearing aids - McClure can even hear the whistle and the buzzer when she wears it. However, Lester and Short don't wear their aids during games.
``If people get up and yell in my ears with the aid on, then it really hurts,'' Lester said.
Referees are told before the games that the Patriots have deaf players, but sometimes the referees forget, especially if it's a road game where the officials are unfamiliar with the girls.
``Sometimes, the refs will whistle if one of the girls keeps going after play is stopped,'' Camp said. ``But then they'll remember.''
Typical teen-agers
They're growing more confident every day, these three. Camp and Sheedy say, to the best of their knowledge, Lester, McClure and Short are the first deaf high school basketball players in the area. All three plan to play softball for Patrick Henry in the spring, too.
Sheedy, who also teaches Lester in biology class, said she has learned plenty from the experience.
``I can't talk while she's taking notes,'' Sheedy said. ``Since she can't see Greg doing the signs while she writes, I have to wait for her. But that's probably better. The other students probably don't listen as well while they're writing, either.''
All three are good students, and they also have been good teachers. ``I think it's good to educate other people about our culture,'' Short said. ``Our abilities are the same, and we have the same interests as other people.
``A lot of girls are boy crazy, but I'm not.''
All three girls looked at each other, smiled and began to giggle.
by CNB