December 2, 2007
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“Shirley is strong, with a tremendous work ethic and leads by
example,” says Coach Val. Shirley is a 2 year defensive veteran.
In her first year she talked to Coach Ted about playing nose guard.
The coaching staff figured nose guard and defensive tackle would be
perfect for her. She’s entering her third season, and enjoys
herself every time she is on the field.
I have yet to experience the
pleasure of meeting Shirley in person, but in doing research for
this article I kept hearing how nice she is with a great sense of
humor and that she is a “pure joy to be around.” Oh, and in her
words, “Did they tell you I’m deaf?”
Shirley lost her hearing when she
was 2˝ years old. Shirley attended the Ohio School for the Deaf in
Columbus, and a private school, St. Rita’s School for the Deaf in
Cincinnati while growing up. She copes with being deaf on the filed
although it’s not without its own challenges. Her friend Denice
Hinojosa recruited her and interpreted for her on the field (Denice
is a professional interpreter) for the 2006 season. Many times the
team has relied on basic signals or pencil and paper. Although this
year a new teammate is proficient in American Sign Language and a
few other players are trying to learn.
Shirley has always been very
excited about playing football. While at St. Rita’s she was told
by the coaches she couldn’t play because she was a girl and they
were afraid she would get hurt. That passion has burned within her
since. She has a supportive family, especially her little brother.
She sports the #71 for the year he was born.
She would like to extend a big
thank you to her teammates for accepting her. She understands it
may be frustrating and takes patience to communicate with each other
and she appreciates her team’s willingness and acceptance of her
with her challenges.
GO! GO! GO! SPITFIRE #71!
P.S. Shirley has a bit of advice
for all the bruises you get from practice and playing. She advises
taking a white vinegar and water mix in a wrapper for about 10-15
minutes to help reduce the bruises. “It really works! WOW!”
