Charmco – Playing sports has long been lauded as an avenue for teaching young athletes how to deal with adversity.
While some athletes struggle dealing with adverse times, other athletes hit the playing field better equipped to deal with the rigors of the game.
Greenbrier West three-sport standout, Brooke Nutter is one such athlete. For Nutter, adversity has been a daily way of life since an early age.
Cindy Nutter is Brooke’s mother and also the head volleyball coach at Greenbrier West High School.
“Brooke had progressive hearing loss from the time when she was born. She is bi-laterterly implanted with Cochlear implants. Without those implants she cannot hear at all,” Cindy Nutter said. She got her first implant when she was five and her second when she was ten. It has been a lot of different therapy and when she is in school, she has her interpreter with her every day.”
A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that electrically stimulates the cochlear nerve, which is the nerve used in hearing. The implant has external and internal parts. The implant gathers sounds with a microphone and processes the sound. Sounds are then transmitted to the internal part of the implant.
The implants don’t restore hearing to its normal level, but does help Brooke recognize and better understand words.
Naturally Brooke’s adjustment to school and socialization took time.
“Talking to the other girls has been tough. Where I have very low hearing, listening is very hard. I have to look at them when they talk to me, so I can read the lips to understand,” Brooke said. “When everyone is talking on the floor, I really can’t hear the coaches. I can only hear the girls on the floor.” ASL (American Sign Language) is my favorite language.
“She of course was kinda distant from the other students through middle school, but I think through sports, that has allowed her to be herself,” Cindy said.
Facing a tougher road than most young athletes, Brooke took to sports from an early age. Last season she was a three-sport varsity starter for the first time in volleyball, basketball and softball.
“I started playing volleyball in elementary (school) and have played ever since. I have played basketball on and off over the years, but I also started that in elementary,” Brooke said. “I became more serious about softball in my high school years starting when I was a freshman. Playing sports has made my life easier.”
Communication amongst coaches and players has always been the paramount ingredient for success in high school sports.
Brooke’s teammates have helped make that success possible by learning new ways of communication, as well as helping Brooke through adverse times.
“It is a trial and error process for everyone. Even with the players there are times of adversity,” Cindy explained. “After being in school all day, the batteries in her processors might die. Some of the girls would make a special point to let the others know that Brooke couldn’t hear and they needed to make an adjustment. From being together all these years, they just know how to adjust and depend on each other.”
“As coaches, there are times I can yell at any other kid on the floor and they can hear me,” Cindy went on to say. “When she is across the floor from me, I know, no matter what I say, she is not going to hear me. I will get her attention and I know enough sign language that I can tell her what she did and what she can do to fix it.”
Although Brooke admits basketball is not her favorite sport, she was quick to make an impact when given the opportunity to play last year.
“We didn’t really have very many girls to play, so coach put me on varsity. Even though I didn’t think I was good enough to play, I could still manage to do what I was supposed to do,” Brooke said.
Greenbrier West head girls basketball coach Mark Agee saw things a little differently.
“Brooke played two positions for us last year. She played guard out on the wing and she would also go down and play the post position. She was really good at both of them,” Agee explained. “She would score a few points, get a couple of steals and wasn’t afraid to get a rebound. She was definitely a big help to us. She is a great kid and she has been a great asset to the team.”
Brooke has developed into a top-notched defensive specialist for the volleyball team. However, playing for her mom can create a tough situation at times.
“I really like playing defense and reading the other players, but it can be a little difficult playing for my mom,” Brooke said. “She is always pushing me harder than the others, but I know she pushes the other girls too. Even though she puts extra pressure on me, it has made me a much better player.”
“I think that comes with any parent/coach situation. It’s hard, and sometimes you are harder on your child as the coach,” Cindy said. “On the other hand, you know what to expect out of them and they normally do what you want them to do.”
When you ask coach Nutter about her daughter, a very proud, emotional mother takes over.
“I am so proud of her. She has worked so very hard,” Cindy said. “She plays three sports and she is in the National Honor Society. She is in the National Technical Society. Her goal in life is to be a deaf and hard of hearing teacher in order to help other kids like her.”
Brooke says she definitely wants to go to college like her mom said, but for now, both mom/coach and daughter/player have their eyes fixed firmly on the upcoming volleyball season.
It is a season that has great promise for the Cavaliers.
“I feel very confident that we can win the state tournament,” Brooke said, smiling.