Austin Sliva-Wynne doesn’t have to hear the cheers to succeed
By Denise Adams
Rosenberg Herald Coaster – Rosenberg, Texas
When eight-year-old Austin Sliva-Wynne races across the goal line, the slim running back never hears the applause and cheers from the bleachers.
He can see people clapping, but it’s not until he looks to his mother, Kelly, in the stands and sees her jumping up and down and then to his father, Jason, and sees both his arms straight up in the air that Austin knows he’s put points on the scoreboard.
Austin is profoundly deaf, but he doesn’t allow his disability to stop him from playing baseball, riding bikes with his friends or strapping on the pads and a helmet for his true love, football.
Because of his enthusiasm, his refusal to allow his inability to hear keep him from sports and his willingness to play, even with an injury, Austin received the prestigious Les White Award at the Pecan Grove Gator’s end-of-the-year football banquet.
Named after Pecan Grove Athletic Association Coach Les White, the award is given to the player who shows the most heart. That desire has been evident in Austin Sliva-Wynne from the beginning.
Growing Up Deaf
Born in 1997, the chances for Austin to have diminished hearing were high. Kelly Sliva, Austin’s mother, said quite a few people in her family were born deaf, and she herself is profoundly deaf. Jason Wynne, Austin’s father, is also profoundly deaf although he is the only person in his family with hearing difficulties.
Kelly and Jason watched Austin carefully, and at three months of age, the doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital confirmed what Kelly and Jason had suspected – Austin could not hear.
Both Kelly and Jason attended schools for the deaf, and they knew giving Austin the tools to communicate as early as possible was crucial.
Kelly enrolled Austin in the Center for Hearing and Speech when he was a toddler where he attended all-day classes specifically designed for deaf children.
Now mainstreamed in the third grade at Fort Bend ISD’s Meadows School in Stafford, Austin has an interpreter available.
Austin is on grade level in every subject, bringing home four A’s and one B last semester, and he earns a place on the honor roll every year.
He is also a gifted artist. In 2006, Austin won first place for his drawing for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and another one of his drawings is displayed at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Although he enjoys academics and the arts, Austin’s true love is sports. The always-smiling youngster has played baseball and basketball for the YMCA and plays baseball for Lamar Little League, earning the award for most valuable player award for the Braves last year.
His favorite sport is football. When asked about the Gators’ record, Austin brightens and he quickly signs they had only one loss the entire season which qualified them for the end-of-the-year game – the Super Bowl.
A Team Effort
As the mother of two active athletes, Kelly spends a great deal of time transporting sons Austin and Shea from school in Stafford to practice fields in Richmond. To help with communications, Austin’s father, Jason, volunteered to help coach.
A talented high school and college baseball player, Jason knew the difficulties Austin was facing on the field.
Jason signed that deaf people are often more visually aware of their surroundings. They see the nuances more acutely, and he believes Austin’s sight and sense of movement are talents that serve him well in sports.
To help Austin on the field, his coach, George Mehaffey, created an arm band with the numbers and plays written on the top. When it is time to huddle up, Austin quickly glances to the sidelines, and Jason signs the play. With a quick nod, Austin checks his wristband and is back in formation.
In the semi-final game, however, Austin almost didn’t play because he severely hurt his knee.
“At that point, I thought Austin’s season was finished,” said Kelly.
The orthopedist confirmed Austin’s worst fears when he told him he could not play for four more weeks which essentially put him on the bench for the season.
“Austin told the doctor no way – I’m going to play in the Super Bowl,” said Kelly. The young boy was so adamant about playing, the doctor fitted him with a knee sleeve and cautioned Austin he could play in the final game only if he did not practice.
On the day of the big game, Austin suited up and played, and the Gators won, clinching the title of Super Bowl champions.
When Austin was presented with the Les White Award, Kelly and Jason were excited for their son but not surprised at the heart and grit he constantly displays.
Austin initially played defense, but continually asked for an offensive position. This year, his coach gave him the opportunity to handle the ball, and in his first game the running back scored two touchdowns.
His teammates are extremely accepting of Austin, and many have asked Kelly how to sign different colors, names and words they use on the field.
“It’s easy for the boys to learn, and they want to communicate with Austin,” she said.
Both Kelly and Jason laugh that opposing teams were quick to pick up that father and son were signing to each other. Some teams, Kelly said, videotaped Jason and Austin, to help figure out the Gators’ game plan.
Future Plans
A true athlete, Austin can’t wait for the spring baseball season, and his younger brother, Shea, feels the same way.
“I don’t want my boys to feel they’re not normal. They are except for their hearing,” said Kelly. A cochlear implant has been considered for Austin, but there’s a huge impediment – no sports, and Kelly said she just couldn’t take that away because he loves athletics so much.
Jason said when he realized Austin was deaf, he believed a part of him was in Austin. Crossing his hands on his chest, Jason said that every time Austin is tackled, his heart starts beating wildly until Austin gets up and shakes off the play.
“I want him to explore and discover,” Jason said.
Austin has a speaking vocabulary of approximately 100 words, and Kelly pushes him to talk and communicate with speech as much as possible.
When they first moved into their house in Rosenberg, Kelly said the children on the block didn’t want to play with Austin. But once they discovered that Austin is a great athlete and an asset in every after-school sport and activity, they readily accepted him and he’s seldom home long before a boy in a baseball cap comes knocking on the door.
Austin and Shea especially enjoy playing with their new pet, Spotty, a Jack Russell puppy that is also deaf. Kelly said the breeders interviewed many families and decided Austin and Shea were the perfect match for their special puppy.
The Future
Kelly can still remember the hurt she felt when she was labeled “deaf and dumb.” Far from it, she has a home-based scrap booking business and keeps up with homework and carpool.
She is adamant Austin avoid that same labeling, and his involvement in activities from school to church to sports ensures he is surrounded by people who accept him as a friend, not simply a deaf person.
Jason is a self-employed Web designer, and his achievements in baseball allow him totally to understand the difficulties his son faces on the athletic field.
“I don’t see Austin as different. Just because he lost his hearing doesn’t make him special,” said Kelly. “I don’t want the boys to think they cannot do something.” Jason agrees that he does not want to hold the boys back in life.
One day, signed Austin, he’ll be playing college and then professional football, not as a deaf player, but a player who’s there to undertake whatever obstacles and hardships it takes to win for Austin Sliva-Wynne has the heart and soul of a champion.
Link: http://www.herald-coaster.com/articles/2007/01/17/news/news01.txt
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