Cheyenne Sloan plans to play volleyball in college
Many high school students are multisport athletes. Not many are all-stars, MVPs and champions in more than one sport, though.
Cheyenne Sloan’s list of accomplishments wouldn’t fit on just one banner in her school’s gym. She’s a volleyball national champion, a volleyball and basketball tournament MVP, and a volleyball player of the year, just to name a few of her accolades. It’s an incredible resume for any athlete, not to mention one who is deaf.
“It’s not challenging because we’re deaf, because we use our eyes, we don’t use our hearing,” said Sloan. “We keep our eyes on the ball and on each other at all times.”
Christie Homell taught Sloan when she was in elementary school and has been her volleyball coach for the last five years.
“As I see her become a strong personality, school work, she’s a hard worker,” said Homell. “She always wants to learn, she’s curious about everything, and now to look at her as a senior and all the work she’s accomplished, it’s amazing.”
Her coach calls her a true leader who is always willing to help her teammates.
“The players ask me questions. They ask me how to improve their game. I always give them good tips,” said Sloan. “I show a great attitude, and I want them to learn from me to continue to have a good attitude and stay strong through the whole season.”
Sloan’s time at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf is winding down. She’ll graduate this spring, then it’s off to college where she will play volleyball.
“I plan to go to Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “My major will be physical education, because I hope to become an athletic director in the future at a school for the deaf.”
She already has that educator mentality, offering this advice to kids with hearing loss: “Go ahead and play a sport, whether it’s volleyball or any kind of sport. I would tell them to try out, even if people tell you you can’t play, don’t listen to them, keep going. It’s not based on your hearing loss, it’s how you’re dedicated to the game, how well you play. So you can do it.”
Source: WTAE