Saw this article in the local paper and thought I'd share.
http://www.masslive.com/metrowestplus/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-1/111027226991970.xml
Coach's actions speak loudly to deaf players
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
By NATHAN COSTA
ncosta@repub.com
LONGMEADOW - When you watch Nathan J. Moulden III on the sideline, he looks like your typical youth basketball coach. He yells, jumps up and down, and even waves a towel over his head.
These antics may seem ridiculous, but on this team, Moulden's actions aren't antics. They are a necessity.
That's because Moulden is the head coach of the Willie Ross School for the Deaf basketball team. The team is composed of high school and middle school students, all of whom are deaf or hard of hearing and who compete against other schools for the deaf or teams from small private schools in the area.
Communication is key in a sport like basketball, and the reason Moulden jumps up and down is not because he is upset - though, indeed, sometimes that can be the reason - but because he wants to get the attention of one of his players.
"They can feel the vibrations," said Moulden, who is himself a 1988 graduate of Willie Ross. "When I want to get their attention, or they do something wrong, I bang my feet. They
know what it means."
While some of the players are hard of hearing and are able to speak, American Sign Language and hand gestures are the primary modes of communication on the court. The signs and gestures are so quick and minimal that it doesn't seem to impair the players at all.
Outside of communicating in sign, the differences between this basketball team and any other are virtually nonexistent.
"You don't have to be able to hear to play basketball," said Moulden, who is in his sixth season as coach. "We can see better than hearing people, we have good eyes. That's what is important."
It is evident when you watch the team play that the players don't have to hear to play basketball. They run the fast break, they get in their man-to-man defense and they even shoot ill-advised shots as any other team would. Moulden feels that being able to sign on the court can also be an advantage.
For example, Moulden said, when the other team is shooting free throws, he can give his players the sign for the full-court press, and the team won't expect a thing until it's too late.
Moulden seems to be the perfect fit for this team. A former player, he was named a Deaf All-American in 1988. He knows exactly what it's like to be out there, and he loves the game of basketball, as well as the kids themselves.
"I spend time with every player, explain to them what they are doing wrong. I've been there, I know," Moulden said. "I tell them, you use what God gave you, use your heart. You can do anything that your heart says. You can be just as good as anyone."
Shawn M. Lalu, 17, has played for Moulden for five years at Willie Ross, and can't think of a better coach for their team than him. "Kids listen to him," Shawn said. "He's good. He loves kids, and he wants us to win games. He's a good guy."
Edwin Esteva, 18, realizes that Moulden is great for the team. He is there for them whenever they need him, whether it is related to basketball - or life.
"Sometimes when we get depressed, he tells us about what it used to be like for him. He went through the same things," said Edwin, who has played for the Willie Ross team for six years. "He's a good guy. He tries his best."
http://www.masslive.com/metrowestplus/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-1/111027226991970.xml
Coach's actions speak loudly to deaf players
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
By NATHAN COSTA
ncosta@repub.com
LONGMEADOW - When you watch Nathan J. Moulden III on the sideline, he looks like your typical youth basketball coach. He yells, jumps up and down, and even waves a towel over his head.
These antics may seem ridiculous, but on this team, Moulden's actions aren't antics. They are a necessity.
That's because Moulden is the head coach of the Willie Ross School for the Deaf basketball team. The team is composed of high school and middle school students, all of whom are deaf or hard of hearing and who compete against other schools for the deaf or teams from small private schools in the area.
Communication is key in a sport like basketball, and the reason Moulden jumps up and down is not because he is upset - though, indeed, sometimes that can be the reason - but because he wants to get the attention of one of his players.
"They can feel the vibrations," said Moulden, who is himself a 1988 graduate of Willie Ross. "When I want to get their attention, or they do something wrong, I bang my feet. They
know what it means."
While some of the players are hard of hearing and are able to speak, American Sign Language and hand gestures are the primary modes of communication on the court. The signs and gestures are so quick and minimal that it doesn't seem to impair the players at all.
Outside of communicating in sign, the differences between this basketball team and any other are virtually nonexistent.
"You don't have to be able to hear to play basketball," said Moulden, who is in his sixth season as coach. "We can see better than hearing people, we have good eyes. That's what is important."
It is evident when you watch the team play that the players don't have to hear to play basketball. They run the fast break, they get in their man-to-man defense and they even shoot ill-advised shots as any other team would. Moulden feels that being able to sign on the court can also be an advantage.
For example, Moulden said, when the other team is shooting free throws, he can give his players the sign for the full-court press, and the team won't expect a thing until it's too late.
Moulden seems to be the perfect fit for this team. A former player, he was named a Deaf All-American in 1988. He knows exactly what it's like to be out there, and he loves the game of basketball, as well as the kids themselves.
"I spend time with every player, explain to them what they are doing wrong. I've been there, I know," Moulden said. "I tell them, you use what God gave you, use your heart. You can do anything that your heart says. You can be just as good as anyone."
Shawn M. Lalu, 17, has played for Moulden for five years at Willie Ross, and can't think of a better coach for their team than him. "Kids listen to him," Shawn said. "He's good. He loves kids, and he wants us to win games. He's a good guy."
Edwin Esteva, 18, realizes that Moulden is great for the team. He is there for them whenever they need him, whether it is related to basketball - or life.
"Sometimes when we get depressed, he tells us about what it used to be like for him. He went through the same things," said Edwin, who has played for the Willie Ross team for six years. "He's a good guy. He tries his best."