Gallaudet University Women's Basketball Team Can Neither Hear nor Be Beat

With his team trailing and time running out at a recent basketball game, Coach Cook, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, told a CBS News correspondent he didn't think his players, who are all deaf or hard of hearing, would win, he knew they would. The team is now undefeated at 16-0, and could be the upstart team of the year. Just 3 years ago the team lost a game by 75 points. I would refer to this team today as "the little engine that could", or maybe it should be "the little team that could."

The Bison Women's Basketball team is suddenly drawing global attention. It was featured on the CBS News program The American Spirit, and also in The Washington post. Coach Cook was on D3 Hoops' Hoopsville online Talk Show. This Gallaudet University Women's basketball is off to its best start in the program's history. They moved up 4 spots to #20, which is the highest the Bison have ever been ranked by the WBCA(Women's Basketball Coaches Association).

Two star players on the team, Easter Faafiti, the league's leading scorer, and Nukeitra Hayes are pushing women's basketball to new heights for Gallaudet. They had to learn to communicate in a deaf culture, and although it took a long time to adjust, it finally clicked for them and the Bison's. As Coach cook says, "when we face adversity, they just find a way".

The Bison Women's Basketball team intend to make sure that nothing stops them from reaching their goal of winning the NEAC and going to the NCAA tournament. As the CBS reporter for The American Spirit said "the coach that can't stop shaking and the team that can't hear are unbeaten on the court by any other team, but also are unbeaten in life by choice". When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade, I say.

Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf and hard of hearing is located in Northeast Washington D.C. It's a world leader in liberal education and career development for the deaf and hard of hearing undergraduate students. It enjoys an international reputation for the outstanding graduate programs it provides. It was founded in 1864 by an Act of Congress and its charter was signed by President Abraham Lincoln.

Sources:cbseveningnews.com/stories/2011/01/28
washingtonpost.com/01/20/2011
gallaudetuniversity.com