Miss-Delectable
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http://www.timesdispatch.com/servle...1785506991&path=!sports!preps&s=1045855935451
If you have ever had an unexpected noise of something hitting the floor near you, you probably jumped and were startled.
If you were Ericka Baylor, you just sat there and continued what you were doing.
Ericka was 2 years old when her family realized she was deaf.
"Her grandmother [Lynell Mason] was doing the dishes, and Ericka was playing on the floor in the kitchen," said Ericka's mother, Karla Baylor. "Until then, we just thought she was a slow learner.
"She dropped a dish right by Ericka, and it broke. Ericka just sat there. We got her to the doctor and found out she was deaf."
Ericka's father, Herman Goins, is deaf in one ear.
Now, Ericka is a 15-year-old sophomore at John Marshall High School. She also is a member of the volleyball team.
Soon after the problem was discovered, Ericka started taking signing lessons.
"I was 10 years old when I realized there were people who could hear, and there were deaf," Ericka said through Maria Sarahan, one of three interpreters who help her.
A year ago, she attended the Model Secondary School for the Deaf on the campus of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
"She was only there for about five months and then came back to Richmond," Sarahan said. "She liked John Marshall a lot better."
At JM, she gets help at her volleyball games from Sarahan or Melody Winters. Joy Zimmermann works with her when it comes to academics.
Sarahan or Winters will sign to Ericka what JM coach Stefanie Ramsey is telling the team.
Ericka has her own way of communicating with her teammates during the game - more along the lines of signaling motions rather than sign language.
"She simply waves them off if she is going to try to return the ball, and she waves for them to take it," Sarahan said.
"I consider Coach [Ramsey] as my godmother," Ericka said. "She has really helped me learning volleyball."
Since none of her friends are able to sign, she uses simple back and forth hand gestures.
Ericka also hangs out at the Boys and Girls Club playing volleyball.
"Sometimes I try to teach them sign," she said.
Ericka, who also enjoys braiding hair, would like to get involved playing at the Richmond Volleyball Club.
Karla Baylor has taken sign language classes at J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College, but says she has learned more about it from Ericka.
"Her brother [Stephen Baylor, 17] has learned it pretty good," Karla said. "But he's had to since they have played so much together. Her stepfather [Howard Robinson] is trying to learn signing."
Ramsey, who was Ericka's PE teacher last year, was able to spark Ericka's interest in the sport.
"It's a little frustrating at times to get a point across, but all players are like that whether they can hear or not," Ramsey said. "We try not to treat her different than any other player.
"It doesn't make any difference that she can't hear. Her skills are OK. The only thing that hurts is that she can't always hear her teammates."
If you have ever had an unexpected noise of something hitting the floor near you, you probably jumped and were startled.
If you were Ericka Baylor, you just sat there and continued what you were doing.
Ericka was 2 years old when her family realized she was deaf.
"Her grandmother [Lynell Mason] was doing the dishes, and Ericka was playing on the floor in the kitchen," said Ericka's mother, Karla Baylor. "Until then, we just thought she was a slow learner.
"She dropped a dish right by Ericka, and it broke. Ericka just sat there. We got her to the doctor and found out she was deaf."
Ericka's father, Herman Goins, is deaf in one ear.
Now, Ericka is a 15-year-old sophomore at John Marshall High School. She also is a member of the volleyball team.
Soon after the problem was discovered, Ericka started taking signing lessons.
"I was 10 years old when I realized there were people who could hear, and there were deaf," Ericka said through Maria Sarahan, one of three interpreters who help her.
A year ago, she attended the Model Secondary School for the Deaf on the campus of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
"She was only there for about five months and then came back to Richmond," Sarahan said. "She liked John Marshall a lot better."
At JM, she gets help at her volleyball games from Sarahan or Melody Winters. Joy Zimmermann works with her when it comes to academics.
Sarahan or Winters will sign to Ericka what JM coach Stefanie Ramsey is telling the team.
Ericka has her own way of communicating with her teammates during the game - more along the lines of signaling motions rather than sign language.
"She simply waves them off if she is going to try to return the ball, and she waves for them to take it," Sarahan said.
"I consider Coach [Ramsey] as my godmother," Ericka said. "She has really helped me learning volleyball."
Since none of her friends are able to sign, she uses simple back and forth hand gestures.
Ericka also hangs out at the Boys and Girls Club playing volleyball.
"Sometimes I try to teach them sign," she said.
Ericka, who also enjoys braiding hair, would like to get involved playing at the Richmond Volleyball Club.
Karla Baylor has taken sign language classes at J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College, but says she has learned more about it from Ericka.
"Her brother [Stephen Baylor, 17] has learned it pretty good," Karla said. "But he's had to since they have played so much together. Her stepfather [Howard Robinson] is trying to learn signing."
Ramsey, who was Ericka's PE teacher last year, was able to spark Ericka's interest in the sport.
"It's a little frustrating at times to get a point across, but all players are like that whether they can hear or not," Ramsey said. "We try not to treat her different than any other player.
"It doesn't make any difference that she can't hear. Her skills are OK. The only thing that hurts is that she can't always hear her teammates."