Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="BRS24, post: 4861664, member: 197"] [URL unfurl="true"]https://www.courant.com/2024/01/27/dom-amores-sunday-read-amari-deberry-connects-deaf-community-to-uconn-womens-basketball-a-pair-of-hall-of-famers-made-memorable-ct-stops-and-more/?share=rmtpaes2noreop70mmrm[/URL] [I]“In that community, Amari has really made a big (impact) with combining sports and sign language,” teammate Aaliyah Edwards said, “trying to emphasize the importance of it. She’s really [B]passionate[/B] about it, she tries to teach each and every one of us some sign. … It’s just a different side to what, as student-athletes, we can [B]accomplish[/B] and how [B]impactful[/B] we can be off the court, and to bring a bigger audience to women’s basketball as well.” DeBerry doesn’t have a set post-college or post-basketball plan for the skills she is mastering. She just wants to make the world a more [B]inclusive[/B] place for those who may not feel included. “[B]Inclusivity[/B],” she said. “Just to be an [B]advocate[/B] for the community. I love being able to teach my teammates a couple of signs for when my professors stop in, or when we meet any fans who happen to be deaf; it’s just so nice to see how excited everyone gets, to just want to learn and try to invest in being [B]involved[/B] with the communication.” As her abilities have become known, DeBerry meets fans everywhere UConn goes, near the bus or the entrances and exits to the arenas. For them, she has become the [B]connection[/B] to the Huskies. During the volleyball season, a group from ASD came to watch a game and met DeBerry, who was walking back to her dorm. As usual, she stopped to [B]engage[/B] in conversation. “It warms my heart to see kids who look up to Paige (Bueckers) and Aaliyah,” DeBerry said. “They want to ask them for an autograph, but they can’t tell them, communicate directly with them, all the stuff they want to say. We were at the WNBA finals with the Sun and there was a girl who came up, wanted an autograph for her mom. ‘I was like, ‘Hi, my name’s Amari, I can sign. Where do you go to school?’ … and we started talking and I follow her on Instagram, too.”[/I] [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach