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Posts published in “DeafSports”

DeafDigest – 18 January 2022

Barry Strassler, editor, publisher, and founder of DeafDigest has died.

Barry with Sweetie
Barry with Sweetie

Barry, a 1966 graduate of Gallaudet University, began DeafDigest in the 1990s. For him it was a labor of love. Barry had written for and edited a myriad of publications for deaf people. He began writing sports when he worked for the Buff and Blue and the Tower Clock as a student at Gallaudet. He worked on publications for the National Association of the Deaf and he wrote for the Silent News. He looked into every issue–especially sports–and he remembered everything he saw.

Barry loved stories about deaf people and the deaf community, and he wanted to share them. He made up his own rules about sharing. Barry would read the news, glean its sense, are put it in his own words. He avoided names. For him what was significant was what happened to “a deaf person,” or a “CODA,” or  “an interpreter,” or a “hearing person.” And he would never print news if he felt it made deaf people look bad.

His goal wasn’t information sharing so much as staunch and profound advocacy.

In reporting on the achievements of young deaf and hard of hearing athletes in mainstream schools, Barry realized that he could help these students become aware of Gallaudet and at the same time help Gallaudet recruit talented students. He enthusiastically became a recruiter behind the scenes, passing information back and forth to and from the athletes and Gallaudet.

When he was honored by Gallaudet and inducted into its Hall of Fame, a speaker noted that Barry had helped recruit 30 mainstream players–half of the Gallaudet football team. In baseball, he had connected Gallaudet with the player who had been Conference Rookie of the Year, and in basketball, he had “found” the first team all conference point guard.

Barry was perhaps ahead of his time in recognizing that athletes, even as students, had rights. Once when a team member was denied decent shoes, he walked with him to the athletic director’s office. “Are you telling me,” he reportedly said, “that you are going to deny this Gallaudet student a chance to play because you will not buy him shoes?” The athletic director must have been embarrassed–the student got his shoes.

Barry wrote the acclaimed Gallaudet Football Centennial Book and a recent book on the history of basketball at Gallaudet. He always said that he wrote sports because he could “not play sports.” But he wrote sports because he loved sports, and he loved telling people about the remarkable athletic achievements of deaf players. Writing sports, like DeafDigest, was a passion and a commitment. It was based in his belief–not just that deaf people can do anything–but that that deaf people can do anything as well or better than anyone else–and the world should pay attention.

Barry also loved his family. He loved his daughter, Kelly, his daughter and son in law, Rachael and Matt and their son, Dominic, and his wife, Cathy, and his dog, Sweetie. And he cared about his deaf nieces Gittel and Toby and about Toby’s son, Natie.

 

  • Appreciation is expressed for the information in this article that came from a speech given during Barry’s induction into the Gallaudet Hall of Fame. 
  • Barry owns the domain of DeafDigest until 2024. This domain may be purchased for this time period for a donation to Gallaudet University Sports.

 

DeafDigest – 24 October 2020

DeafDigest Sports – – October 24, 2020

barry@deafdigest.com
for options, click on the above deafnews tab

Hot DeafSports News at:
http://deafdigest.com/

— random deafsports thoughts

— Gallaudet discounts

— Gallaudet looking for men’s soccer coach

— Indiana volleyball

— Iowa cross country

— Mississippi football score

— Missouri sports

— Texas football & volleyball

— last Gallaudet volleyball all-decade honors (2010-2019)

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Gallaudet looking for men’s soccer coach

Men’s Soccer Coach/Program Coordinator
Gallaudet University
Washington, DC

Read more http://35.182.75.222/category/jobs/

………………………………

Gallaudet discounts

15% discount on select gifts and accessories at
GallaudetAthleticsStore.com through October 31

https://gallaudetathleticsstore.merchorders.com/

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football scores

Texas 70 St Augustine 25

Oct 23 Alabama hosts Success Unlimited Academy
(cancelled – opponent not certified by state association)

Riverdale Academy 63 Mississippi 0

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Gallaudet volleyball

Gallaudet Women’s Volleyball All-Decade Team: 2010-2019

WASHINGTON – The Gallaudet University women’s volleyball program would
like to take the time to celebrate the rich tradition and history it has
shown on the court for over 50 years. A 13-person committee gathered to
select the All-Decade teams for the past five decades of Bison women’s
volleyball. The series concludes today with the 2010s All-Decade Team.

full story at:
https://www.gallaudetathletics.com/sports/wvball/2020-21/releases/alldecade-10s

note:
one of the players is interesting – Lane Peters. She is not deaf but was
interested in a career as an interpreter and felt that Gallaudet was the
best opportunity for her. Gallaudet did not recruit her; she recruited
herself to Gallaudet. Standing at 6’1 tall, she was a prized recruit,
even if she has to travel cross country, from her home in Arizona to
Washington, DC!

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Indiana volleyball

part of newspaper story

Hauser vs. Indiana Deaf in Morristown Regional, 1:30 p.m.

Hauser-Indiana Deaf winner vs. Bloomfield-Indianapolis Lutheran
winner in Morristown Regional, 7 p.m.

Before Hauser can even think about the regional final, it first must take
care of business against Indiana Deaf.

The two teams share three common opponents — Southwestern (Shelby),
Waldron and Greenwood Christian. The Deaf Hoosiers fell to all three of
those teams

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Iowa cross country

part of newspaper story

KMALAND CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE

Iowa Class 1A SQM at Audubon (AHSTW, Audubon, Boyer Valley, East Mills,
Fremont-Mills, Heartland Christian, Iowa School for the Deaf,
Logan-Magnolia, Riverside, St. Albert, West Harrison, Woodbine) POSTPONED

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Mississippi football

MSD 0    Riverdale Academy 62

MSD finish the season 1-3 .

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Missouri sports

Missouri School for the Deaf has cancelled winter athletic this year due
to the current pandemic.

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Texas volleyball

Veritas Academy vs TSD

Varsity
Veritas, 3
TSD, 2
(20-25, 19-25, 26-24, 26-24, 14-16)

Junior Varsity
Veritas, 2
TSD, 0
(21-25, 12-25)

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Texas football

part of newspaper story

It was a historic night for the St. Augustine football program, playing
their first ever home game.

The score wouldn’t go their way, falling 70-25 to the Texas School for the
Deaf

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random deafsports thoughts

A basketball coach at a non-Big Six school
is angry that the school cancelled the
basketball season because of Covid-19.

The coach felt his team had a chance to become
#1 in the nation among deaf schools, hence
his anger at the cancellation.

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http://GallaudetAthleticsStore.com

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Order a copy of the new Gallaudet University Men’s Basketball History Book

WASHINGTON – The Gallaudet University men’s basketball program is excited
to announce online ordering information for those fans, alumni, etc.,
interested in purchasing a copy of the Gallaudet University Men’s
Basketball History Book (1904-2019) written by Gallaudet Athletics Hall of
Famer Barry Strassler.

The book made its debut back on February 15, 2020, at the annual Alumni
Madness Day. The Bison men’s basketball program held a reunion that
evening where Strassler signed copies of the book.

For those not in attendance, you can now purchase your own copy for $35
apiece and $8 for shipping. Please allow two weeks to receive the book.
Purchase here: https://app.mobilecause.com/form/LQ60XQ?vid=73t7e

If you have any questions, please contact Gallaudet men’s basketball head
coach Kevin Kovacs at kevin.kovacs@gallaudet.edu.

a vlog is at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQFMZ-d7dvc&feature=youtu.be