Women's Hoops Fills 'Critical Role'

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma women's basketball team recently spent an afternoon at the Mary Abbott Children's House, a child abuse response center that serves Cleveland County and the surrounding region, to begin its annual team community service function.

The Sooners provided manpower for some necessary physical improvements to the house and stayed for introductory training in preparation for a stint as child abuse advocacy volunteers. This year, the OU women's basketball players will assist specialists at the child abuse response center by providing a calming companion for young victims of physical and sexual abuse.

"As a small non-profit, we rely heavily on volunteers to provide the manpower we need and free up staff time to do direct service with children," Abbott House executive director Jeannine Baker said. "Some of our volunteers are just involved in making this a child-friendly place. It's comfortable, it's safe. It's not like walking into an institution or the police department, which is kind of a scary place even for adults sometimes. So it's important that this look well-maintained and be a child-friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

"The girls are really helping with that in terms of paining and upkeep of the house. Some will also be trained to serve as child advocates. What those volunteers do, that's one-on-one with the kids.

"When kids come here, they spend some time in our playroom just relaxing and hanging out. That's where the child advocate comes into play. She just chills with them, doesn't ask questions, doesn't get involved in the case. She just makes the child feel comfortable to be here. That's really a critical role because if they're comfortable and relaxed, then they're not imitated about going upstairs (to the interview room) and talking. So it really helps the child move through the process."

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The Sooners are excited about this year's community service project, yet understand the seriousness of their task.

"It's always an amazing feeling to give back to the community, especially here in Norman," OU sophomore forward Carlee Roethlisberger said. "I've never walked away from one of our community service initiatives not feeling better about myself and those around me.

"This, in particular, may be one of the most important things we do, possibly, in our entire lives. As far as time, it's not much to give up, but the difference it can make is extraordinary."

Roethlisberger's teammates concurred.

Said junior center Abi Olajuwon: "To think that a child is going to come into this house and you may be one the first people they interact with on the day their lives will change for the better -- that's powerful."

The impact of adding the Sooners to the Abbott House's volunteer list has the center's staff energized about its number of child advocates.

"Right now, thanks to the OU women's basketball team, it's increased significantly, Sabrina Yaw, Abbott House family advocate/volunteer coordinator, said. "We have roughly around 30 volunteers who do everything from our child advocacy positions to our grounds keeping to helping with some of our special projects -- our fundraising and those kinds of things.

"It's great to have a volunteer, a friendly face just for the kids to hang out and play with. Often times when the children come here, this may be the first safe person that they've had to talk to, to hang out with, and to play with. So it's real important we use these volunteers to help the kids feel at ease."

The center works as a multi-disciplinary team that includes child welfare, district attorney's office, law enforcement, mental health professionals and medical personnel. Housed on site are two detectives from the Norman Police Department and two child welfare workers.

"They still work for their own agencies," Baker said, "but by being housed here, when those cases come in they can go out the door together and conduct one interview. One interview is less intrusive for a family, it's easier on children, but it also makes a tighter case. By doing one investigation, they are not tripping over each other; the child is only interviewed once, which is much less traumatic; and they have a tighter case which is more easily defendable in the court of law, which is, ultimately, where you can protect kids."

Baker said that the number of abuse cases has risen dramatically since the center opened, but she thinks increased awareness, more than an overall increase in child abuse, is the cause for the rise.

"In 2006, we served 450 children. Last year, we served 711 children, which was a huge increase. I don't believe there's been that big a leap in the amount of abuse that is going on; I believe those numbers have always been out there. I believe the increase in numbers comes from a greater awareness about child abuse. People are tired of seeing it on the news and they're less tolerant of it going on, so they're more willing to report. Also, we have a D.A. in this county who is committed to these cases and will prosecute. That makes people more willing to report when they know perpetrators will be held accountable."

For the past three years, OU basketball coaches Jeff Capel and Sherri Coale have been ambassadors for the Abbott House and will be the featured speakers at its annual fundraising banquet on Dec. 17.

For more information, visit www.abbott-house.org.

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