Making a Difference On and Off the Court

By: Natalie Albert and Debbie Long

Class, practice, lifting weights, friends, study hall, tutors, and games take up most, if not all, of a student-athletes time at the University of Oklahoma. Added to that list is a strong commitment to the community that surrounds the OU women's basketball program.

That commitment stems from head coach Sherri Coale who believes in giving back to the community that has supported her program for the last nine years.

“There are so many ways to volunteer and be a part of the community,” said Coale. “From day one, community service has been important. Because of the visibility of the women's basketball program, we needed to have something that we could watch over and grow.”

Grow it has as OU continuously increases its exposure in the Norman area by ways of yearly, monthly and weekly commitments.

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Sooner Big Sis Program
One of the outreach programs closest to the hearts of Coach Coale and her players is the Sooner Big Sis Program, a program that was established in Coale's first season as head coach (1996-97). With her background as a high school teacher and coach, Coale had witnessed the importance of role models in young peoples' lives.

“I made it a priority to get my teams involved in the lives of children because I had seen first hand the impact older kids had had on my own children through FCA and other school functions,” said Coale.

The development of the Sooner Big Sis Program provided an opportunity for hundreds of women's basketball players to serve as teacher aids and role models for variouss elementary schools in the Norman School District.

Past and present players under Coale devote at least one hour a week to their elementary school for the academic year. This may sound like a big commitment on the student-athlete's part but the rewards are priceless. Senior captain Dionnah Jackson sees it as a two-way street.

“I love it,” said Jackson regarding the Sooner Big Sis program. “Not only do they look up to us, but we also look up to them. Sometimes it's nice to just get away and put yourself in a different environment. They really make you think about what's really important. I enjoy every minute I spend at my school (Madison Elementary).”

Sophomore center Casey Walker agrees with Jackson.

“Being a role model affects everything you do. Because we are on the Oklahoma women's basketball team, we have to be aware of our responsibilities,” said Walker. “Knowing people like to use you as an example is an awesome feeling.”

Coale said that the players make an impact on the lives of the children they work with.

“I receive letters from parents saying that their kid didn't want to go to school or had no interest in school. Their child didn't study or was in trouble all the time. As soon as one of our players starts volunteering at the school, then the kids want to start going and never miss a Thursday when the student-athlete is there,” said Coale.

Both Jackson and Walker volunteer at Madison Elementary School. Jackson is a teacher aid for Mrs. Garrett's fifth grade class, while Walker assists Mrs. Elisa's third grade class.

Jackson and Walker carry the responsibility of being a role model with great pride as each sees it as an honor.

“It's great because I get to see the kids weekly and really become a part of their lives,” said Jackson. “It's the best thing I have done so far.”

“I love it when they run to me, jumping up and down, asking a million questions,” Walker said after being mobbed by her third graders during Multicultural Week at Madison Elementary. “It is really rewarding to be looked up to the way they look up to us,” said Walker.

“Doing community service is part of putting your money where your mouth is in the form of being a role model,” said Coale. “If we are getting involved every week, it makes it real. The way the players grab hold of volunteering and embrace it is why we get recognized.”

The Big Sis Program is the foundation of OU's outreach programs.

J.D. McCarthy Center
The Sooners also extend their passion to win beyond the basketball court and into the Norman community by participating in a monthly community service project, touching numerous lives along the way.

This year's monthly outreach program involves to the J.D. McCarthy Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities in Norman. One day a month, usually in the evening, the student-athletes volunteer to read bedtime stories, play board or card games or just visit with the residents at each of the six houses.

“This is rewarding to me," said junior Laura Andrews. "Being able to come out here and interact with these kids is a special opportunity that we all enjoy. People may think we bring the smiles and laughs but it's actually them bringing us a lot of laughs and smiles."

The mission of the J.D. McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities is to provide a comprehensive program of habilitative care to Oklahoma's children (0-21) with developmental disabilities; to utilize measurable quality standards and to ensure excellence in health care through a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to service delivery which will enable children with developmental disabilities to maximize their potential and enhance their quality of life; and to increase the physical and emotional well-being of patients and their families through an empowering process of education, training, transitional planning and community support.

Coale recruits players who have a passion and commitment on and off of the court. Coale said that her role as coach takes place not only in the gym, but in life as well.

OU's Outreach Programs
The women's basketball program chooses a different organization each year, in hopes that over the course of the average student-athlete's four-year period they will find something that they will want to stay involved with in the future.

Coale believes if her players are involved in a variety of organizations and experience the joy of giving back to a community that by the time they find a community to call home their experience at OU will lead them to volunteer long after their collegiate days are done.

The women's basketball program has been involved with organizations including the United Way's Meals On Wheels, Oklahoma's Habitat for Humanity, City Sights Tour, Special Olympics and local hospitals.

The team volunteered with the United Way's Meals On Wheels program in 2001-02. The Sooners delivered, sacked and decorated bags that contained food items for emergency use for the elderly who didn't have daily transportation during the winter months.

City Sights Tour was probably the first big project Coale embraced in 1998-99. This project had three parts which included Sooner speaking tours, basketball clinics and Sooner Shadow program. Players spoke at several Oklahoma City middle schools about the importance of getting an education and staying drug free. Following speaking tours, the team hosted a free clinic for inner-city boys and girls to teach them the basic fundamentals basketball. The highlight of the tour came when the middle school students got the opportunity to shadow a Sooner player for an entire day. They got to see first hand the demands of a student-athlete's life.

OU volunteered at Norman Regional Hospital during the 2003-2004 season. On a monthly basis, the team would spent time with the children and family members, brightening their day with warm conversation and friendly gestures. The players offered posters, trading cards, and pom-pons to help decorate their rooms during their time of hospitalization.

Coale and the team build a bond with many of the people they meet while filling their philanthropic duty. Still, it comes as a surprise to some that when they volunteer, they receive as much as they give.

Jackson is forever changed because of her experiences with the different organizations.

“It's helped me grow. When I came in as a freshman, I didn't understand the impact it would have until now. You become a better person and you feel good about what you're doing,” said Jackson. “It's something that takes my mind off things and helps me relax. It grounds us and keeps us humble. We have been blessed, so it's good to give back to other people. You want to do everything you can because you know that you can make a difference.”

Even with all the demands of being a Division I student-athlete, one can never replace the simple joy of seeing a child smile, an older person say thank you or the great feeling these student-athletes get by giving back to their community, a community they call home.

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Making a Difference On and Off the Court

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