Miss-Delectable
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Emma Racila is a senior playing for the FGCU volleyball team. She's also legally deaf, which has led to a special honor with a U.S. national team.
Racila is a graduate of Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, where she played for four years, and was part of a team that won four straight district championships.
In 2006, she began playing volleyball for the College of Charleston, where she appeared in 13 matches and 37 games as a freshman. She finished the season with 1.78 kills and 0.43 blocks per game. She only saw limited action in her sophomore season, playing in eight games.
As a junior, she transferred back home to FGCU, where she played as a redshirt junior and appeared in all 31 matches. She recorded 2.51 kills, which was second most on the team.
She also had a team high 20 kills against South Florida, and 10 kills without an error at Pepperdine.
What is most impressive about all this is the fact that Racila is legally deaf.
She is finally getting the recognition she deserves for what she has done on the court, by being named one of the 13 members of the U.S. Deaf National Volleyball Team.
As a member of this team, Racila will train for the 2011 Pan American Deaf Games, the 2012 World Championships and the 2013 Summer Deaflympics.
Racila appreciates the chance to extend her playing career.
"It's an honor," Racila said. "It's a great opportunity to keep playing volleyball, which I'm really glad I can do, and not just retire at the end of my collegiate career. It's a great opportunity to travel the world."
Racila feels comfortable with adjusting to playing in other countries.
"Well, the funny thing is, language won't exactly be a barrier if I use sign language," Racila said. "American sign language is pretty much the universal sign language.
"The style of volleyball is always different. Even the style of deaf volleyball is different," Racila continued. "They have different types of coaching. I've never played internationally before, so it should be a really good learning experience, and I'll meet a lot of people."
Racila is the only volleyball player from Florida who was selected to the U.S. Deaf National Volleyball Team, and she feels fortunate to make it.
"It was lucky that they found me because I never would have really gone out trying to find them," Racila said. "It's pretty neat. I know there was a girl on the last National Team who was from Port Charlotte. I never even knew her, but it's still pretty cool.
"We don't really have much of a deaf community in the area, so it's nice to be the voice for Florida," Racila said.
Racila faces unique challenges as a deaf volleyball player.
For instance, during matches, background noise can be a nuisance.
"When I'm playing in large arenas where there's a huge crowd and a lot of whistling, it can be difficult," Racila said. "In club volleyball, I was playing in a huge convention center once where there were 16 courts with whistles going off on each one. Obviously, that was the biggest challenge, trying to block out those background noises and to have selective hearing for just my court."
Racila has combated this challenge, and more, in making the U.S. Deaf National Volleyball Team. And getting to prolong her playing career as well.
Emma Racila is a senior playing for the FGCU volleyball team. She's also legally deaf, which has led to a special honor with a U.S. national team.
Racila is a graduate of Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, where she played for four years, and was part of a team that won four straight district championships.
In 2006, she began playing volleyball for the College of Charleston, where she appeared in 13 matches and 37 games as a freshman. She finished the season with 1.78 kills and 0.43 blocks per game. She only saw limited action in her sophomore season, playing in eight games.
As a junior, she transferred back home to FGCU, where she played as a redshirt junior and appeared in all 31 matches. She recorded 2.51 kills, which was second most on the team.
She also had a team high 20 kills against South Florida, and 10 kills without an error at Pepperdine.
What is most impressive about all this is the fact that Racila is legally deaf.
She is finally getting the recognition she deserves for what she has done on the court, by being named one of the 13 members of the U.S. Deaf National Volleyball Team.
As a member of this team, Racila will train for the 2011 Pan American Deaf Games, the 2012 World Championships and the 2013 Summer Deaflympics.
Racila appreciates the chance to extend her playing career.
"It's an honor," Racila said. "It's a great opportunity to keep playing volleyball, which I'm really glad I can do, and not just retire at the end of my collegiate career. It's a great opportunity to travel the world."
Racila feels comfortable with adjusting to playing in other countries.
"Well, the funny thing is, language won't exactly be a barrier if I use sign language," Racila said. "American sign language is pretty much the universal sign language.
"The style of volleyball is always different. Even the style of deaf volleyball is different," Racila continued. "They have different types of coaching. I've never played internationally before, so it should be a really good learning experience, and I'll meet a lot of people."
Racila is the only volleyball player from Florida who was selected to the U.S. Deaf National Volleyball Team, and she feels fortunate to make it.
"It was lucky that they found me because I never would have really gone out trying to find them," Racila said. "It's pretty neat. I know there was a girl on the last National Team who was from Port Charlotte. I never even knew her, but it's still pretty cool.
"We don't really have much of a deaf community in the area, so it's nice to be the voice for Florida," Racila said.
Racila faces unique challenges as a deaf volleyball player.
For instance, during matches, background noise can be a nuisance.
"When I'm playing in large arenas where there's a huge crowd and a lot of whistling, it can be difficult," Racila said. "In club volleyball, I was playing in a huge convention center once where there were 16 courts with whistles going off on each one. Obviously, that was the biggest challenge, trying to block out those background noises and to have selective hearing for just my court."
Racila has combated this challenge, and more, in making the U.S. Deaf National Volleyball Team. And getting to prolong her playing career as well.
Do you need to have a certain level of dB? How do you become 'legal'? I do know that you have to have at least 55dB to qualify for a service dog for the deaf. Is this the legal minimum dB? 
(I'm 60-80dB)
