Team gives tutoring a unique spin

By Kelly L. Holleran

Daily Mail staff

Monday April 23, 2007

CHARLESTON - All 18 students in Ruthanne Chapman's kindergarten class look up, and up and up at the University of Charleston basketball players and coaches with an expression of awe on their faces.

They stand in rapt attention, listening to the University of Charleston's women's basketball coach, Sherry Winn, share some of her basketball secrets with them.

The gym suddenly becomes a flurry of activity when the children are given basketballs to dribble. Some students chase after basketballs that have gotten loose, while others scrunch up their faces in concentration.

Winn, assistant coach Lynne Fitzgerald and five University of Charleston basketball players can't help but smile when they see the kids working so hard to dribble a basketball.

"It's cute. You can't get mad at them," said Chelsea Joseph, a freshman at the University of Charleston. "They're too cute. You just can't."

"That's true. Maybe I should start coaching kindergarteners," Winn jokes.

Winn, Fitzgerald and some of the basketball team players were recently at the school to teach a clinic to the 5-and 6-year-olds. They are regulars at Ruffner Elementary, where they usually mentor the children in math, reading, spelling and other basic skills.

The children earned the clinic after they won a school-wide contest by bringing the most supporters to University of Charleston's basketball games throughout the season.

"They love it," said Teresa Cisco, the physical education teacher at Ruffner. "They brag for a few weeks they got to play with UC's basketball team."

After the students practiced their dribbling and passing, they gathered at the gym's far wall and watched with wide eyes as the University of Charleston basketball players performed some of their basketball skills such as a Figure Eight Chase, in which they dribble a basketball in circles around their legs.

"That looks hard because you're little, but if you really want to do that, you can learn it," Winn told the class.

She encouraged the students to work hard for what they want.

Winn, 45, knows what it is like to achieve dreams. In 1984 and 1988, she was a member of the United States Handball Olympic Teams.

For six years, she and Fitzgerald have been coaching at the University of Charleston and have turned the program around. The team has gone from earning 12th place in its conference in 2001 to receiving attention from around the country when they competed in the national tournament for schools the size of UC in 2004. They lost their first tournament game to California University of Pennsylvania, the team that eventually won the tournament.

Winn firmly believes it is important to give back to the community, and tries to instill that into her students.

"One of the things we believe is that if you have a talent, you should give it back," she said.

The players say they enjoy their regular appearances at Ruffner.

"Whoever needs help, we help them," said Jennifer DeMeyer, a sophomore. "It's a way to give back to the community."

Not only does the program help the students, but it brightens the days of the students and coaches as well.

"That made my day," Winn said, referring to working with the kids at the clinic.

The kindergarteners were equally excited after the clinic was finished.

"That was awesome," exclaimed kindergartener Mason Henry while waiting in line to go back to class.

Classmate Dirrah Gibson was all smiles after the event.

"That was fun," she said. "I liked it."

Chapman, their teacher, knows this is a memory the children in her class will cherish.

"Just look at their faces," she said, glancing around at the eager children. "They will remember this forever. It's good for them (the players) and it's good for us, too. It's great to have them (the players and coaches) as part of our Ruffner family."

Sherry Winn tutoring kids at Ruffner

Rinnie Mayer and Jen DeMeyer display their skills


Chelsea Joseph enjoys tutoring at Ruffner

Photos and story courtesy of the Charleston Daily Mail