TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Keena Miller
Phone: 512-462-5328, cell: 512-658-4444
Email: [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IT’S A TEXAS THROW DOWN
TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF RANGERS HOLD COURT, HOST NATIONAL DEAF BASKETBALL
TOURNAMENT & CHEER COMPETITION
Austin, Texas – January 11, 2011 Athletes from several of the top schools
for the deaf in the country compete in Austin at the Texas School for the
Deaf (TSD) this weekend for the 11th Clerc Classic Basketball Tournament and
Cheer Competition, hosted by the school at 1102 South Congress Avenue,
Thursday-Saturday, January 13-15.
TSD moved its’ January 3 holiday to release students early this week and
make room for the over 300 high school athletes, officials, coaches,
chaperones and school administrators visiting Austin and staying on campus
for the weekend’s events. Started in 2000, this is TSD’s first time to host
the Clerc Classic – named in honor of Laurent Clerc, who in 1817 co-founded
the first school for the deaf in America.
Tournament play kicks off Thursday at 8:00 a.m., through Saturday at 4:30
p.m. The girls’ championship game will be played Saturday at 6:15 p.m., and
the boys at 8:00 p.m., with the tournament awards ceremony immediately
following. The Clerc Classic Cheer Competition will begin Saturday at 12:3
p.m.
As part of Texas’ Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS)
Division, TSD plays against other Texas teams, but the chance to compete
against other Deaf athletes comes only a few times a year for TSD students.
“What’s unique about that”, says TSD’s Athletic Director, Chris Hamilton,
“is not only do students compete on the court, they all also socialize and
hang out together; they’re friends.”
This is not something you tend to see among local-area high schools too
much. “Among the Deaf competitors, Hamilton continues, “you’ll see a lot of
trash talking on the court, but you will also see a lot of camaraderie and
support for one another. Even though they are from different states across
the country, these kids all know each other from summer camps or other
sporting matchups and things. It’s really a lot of fun for us all get
together. And for us coaches too, we can communicate directly. We are all
friends – as well as colleagues – which is great.” Hamilton is also bringing
in tournament officials who can all communicate in sign language.
TSD welcomes teams from the Alabama School for the Deaf, the Arkansas School
for the Deaf, the California School for the Deaf–Fremont, the California
School for the Deaf–Riverside, The Indiana School for the Deaf, The Learning
Center (in Massachusetts), the Maryland School for the Deaf, and the Model
Secondary School for the Deaf (in Washington D.C.). For complete tournament
details, visit: http://www.tsd.state.tx.us/clerc2011 . Please check here for
volunteer opportunities helping with tournament admissions and support.
The Texas School for the Deaf is the oldest continuously operating public
school in Texas. Educating deaf and hard of hearing students of Texas since
1856, the campus also provides outreach and educational resources for
students, their families and professionals in the field throughout the state
of Texas. With educational excellence and a strong belief in a culture and
community at TSD, students form a unique identity based on their individual
strengths and talents. TSD is an environment where students learn, grow, and
belong. For more information about the Texas School for the Deaf, visit
http://www.tsd.state.tx.us/