Theresa makes her fist GPA school appearance

THERESA PLAISANCE: I had a blast on my visit to Woodlawn Elementary School. First, I spoke to the kindergarden through second grade classes about the importance of getting a good education and how school comes before sports. I then answered some questions the students had. A second grade girl asked, “How tough are you?” With a huge smile on my face I answered, “Everyone thinks they’re tough until the first day of practice”. After the speaking and question and answer we had a little fun and played a crab walk game. We all had a good time, they were a great group of kids, and the visit really made me feel good. I left with a smile on my face and wondering when I would get a chance to go back.

Filed under  //  Community   GPA Prgoram  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Temeka hits the golf course to help battle breast cancer

TEMEKA JOHNSON: Today was such a joyous day. I had the privilege and the honor to participate in this year's Women's Victory Open. Momma Sherie (Starkey) invited me to be a "celebrity putter" and despite my lack of golf experience I knew I wanted to support this terrific cause.  This event is put on to raise money for breast cancer for the women of the area. While there I learned that over the past eleven to twelve years there have been close to 1 million dollars that has been raised through this event. There were so many women there to support this fund raiser as well as participate in the Golfing. They all were having a blast. I saw so many women that have been breast cancer survivers for 1 year to as far as 24 years. I was amazed. To be in the presence of such strong, fighting, never gving up, supportive women, I couldnt ask for a better way to start off my Monday morning. These are the kind of event that one just enjoy doing. I was truly happy to be there!

Filed under  //  Alumni   Breast Cancer   Community   Temeka Johnson   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Lady Tiger alum Becca Hayes changing lives on medical mission trip

COACH STARKEY: The following comes from Becca Hayes, a Lady Tiger alum that is about to share a truly inspiring story with us:

 

Thanks Bob, for the opportunity to share my medical mission trip experience with you and the Lady Tiger family.  For those who don’t know me, I played for the Lady Tigers from 1987-1990.   The legendary Coach Sue Gunter recruited and coached me.  What a privilege it is to be able to say that. 

 

Fast forward 20 years…I am a pediatric intensive care nurse currently working at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas.  I work primarily with post-operative congenital heart defect babies and children.  That is my specialty, and my passion is serving others through mission work.  So, when I was asked to join a very talented group of medical professionals to go to South America and combine those two things, I jumped at the opportunity.

 

On September 2, 2010, a group from both children’s hospitals in Houston (Children’s Memorial Hermann and Texas Children’s) traveled to Santa Cruz, Bolivia to do heart surgery for kids with congenital heart defects. We performed 11 cardiac caths and 12 open-heart surgeries over a 6-day period. Together we helped change 23 children’s lives as well as their families.  It only took $27,000 to put this mission trip together.  In the USA, that would cover the surgeon’s cost for one surgery in the average hospital.

 

There are no pediatric cardiovascular surgeons in Bolivia.  Our team consisted of 1 surgeon, 2 perfusionists, 3 anesthesiologists, 1 physician assistant, 1 scrub tech, 5 nurses, 2 cardiologists, 1 respiratory therapist, and 1 biomedical engineer.  We partnered with a private hospital in Santa Cruz called Incor, which gave up one week of paying patients to allow this to happen.  They donated their staff to assist us, their ICU beds and one of their surgical suites as well.  We brought all of our supplies and equipment, except a few major items.  Otherwise, it was a collaborative effort through and through.  The team was awesome.  I only knew 2 out of the 17 people before we departed Houston.  There was an instant bond with each and every one of the people.  It was much like being on a basketball team.  We all brought different skills to the court.  We had different roles to play, each one important and vital to the team’s success.  I know that my experience as a Lady Tiger prepared me for the work I do today.  I will always be grateful and proud to be a LSU Tiger. 

 

The families were so appreciative of the work we did. They gave us many hugs and kisses.  To know that the children would now have the opportunity to live relatively healthy lives with a normal life expectancy because of this surgery made it all worthwhile for me.  The Bolivians were the most gracious hosts.  We never had the opportunity to get hungry.  They fed us well and constantly.  We were able to jog/run every morning, thank goodness!  (Side bar:  One of the anesthesiologists was an Olympic miler for Spain in 1990.  He still runs and competes at a world-class level.  Let’s just say we all met at the same time every morning and some of us went farther and faster than others!)  Also, they gave us incredible accommodations. The Hotel Yotau’ was as nice as it gets in Santa Cruz.  President Clinton stayed there early in his presidency when he traveled to Bolivia for diplomatic reasons. They had many celebrations for us and we were treated like royalty.  It was pretty cool.  I haven’t felt like that since I was wearing the purple and gold!

 

In conclusion, I can say that it was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had!

Filed under  //  Alumni   Community  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Marie Ferdinand-Harris: Another Lady Tiger giving back to the community

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The following is an article written by Jeff B. Flinn, Editor of the Northeast Herald

It's a long way to the top, as they say — and Marie Ferdinand-Harris knows that as well as anyone. The guard for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks wants girls in the Judson School District to benefit from her message, her experience and her basketball skills.

“I started playing sports when I was in eighth grade and came from a family of seven kids, with a single mother working two jobs to make ends meet,' Ferdinand said. “I am where I am today ... because I didn't make excuses, I just found a way.”

Ferdinand left Miami Edison High School bound for LSU, where she became a three-year starter and a Kodak All-American, went to the WNBA and was later inducted into the LSU Sports Hall of Fame.

“I've always said, whenever I get to the pros and have the opportunity, I'm going to use sports as a vehicle to improve girls' playing abilities and help them shape their lives.”

The result is the Marie Ferdinand Basketball School of Excellence, which begins next week in the Judson School District.

The program begins with elementary students, age 8 and up, meeting for two hours every Monday at Masters Elementary. The middle school program meets for two hours on Tuesday and Saturday at Metzger Middle School. The high school-and-older group meets for two hours each Wednesday and Thursday at Judson High School.

Classes are limited to 30 girls per age grouping; registration costs $125 per player and forms are due Friday, available at www.marieferdinand.com.

“The classes are geared toward teaching the fundamentals; learning how to dribble left-handed, to do a left-handed layup, how to shoot properly,” said Ferdinand, in her fourth year with the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks after a three-year stint with the San Antonio Silver Stars. “It's great to see kids develop their shot. You need to fall in love with shooting, the form, the technique, in the very beginning.”

As players achieve goals and begin to grow, they show more determination, she said, gaining a sense of discipline, and becoming more confident, becoming leaders — “all of these are skills I learned through basketball.”

“I'm so passionate about this. Basketball has done so much for me,” she said. “I want these girls to see that this is available to them, they can do the same thing as me.

Filed under  //  Alumni   Community   WNBA  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Coach Crenshaw serves as judge for Lady Tiger Depot

JONI CRENSHAW: This Saturday was a great day to be a part of the Lady Tiger Basketball program.  I started the morning by going with our team to visit sick children at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital.  It was very refreshing to see what an impact our team had on the patients there.  I also think it made our players realize how blessed they are to be in good health and have a sound mind.  I believe we all walked away from the hospital with a new sense of purpose and gratefulness. 

My next stop was to Lady Tiger Depot to be a judge for Ultimate Fan Day.  Every year they have an Ultimate Fan Contest where Tiger fans come dressed in their Tiger Best to show their school spirit and support for the athletic program.  I had a blast watching these Tiger Fans express their creativity and loyalty to the university.  The contestants made it really hard on the judging panel because each fan showed their spirit in a different way.  In the end Erin Schafer, a 23 year old graduate student at LSU was chosen as the Lady Tiger Depot Ultimate Fan.  She dresses up in a toga uniform for every home football game and in the students section she is known as “The Sparkly Girl”.  So be on the lookout for her at home games this year!!

Filed under  //  Community   Fast Break Club  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Lady Tigers visit children at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital

LASONDRA BARRETT: Saturday morning our team took a visit to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital to brighten the day of young children who are ill or hurt.  We saw children from the ages of 5 to 14 and greeted them with our prescence, a Lady Tiger basketball, and a Van Chancellor t-shirt.  It was amazing to see these young children with so much joy and energy, even though they are going through hard times.  Seeing them made me appreciate things such as my health and having the ability to play basketball.  These things can be so minor to people until they are taken away.  Each and everyone of the children at Our Lady of the Lake put a smile on each one of the Lady Tigers faces because they taught us that the small things we complain about aren't nearly as tough as the situation they are in.  I enjoyed the visit to the hospital and I look forward to many more in the future!!”

TAYLOR TURNBOW: "My experience at the hospital was remarkable and heartwarming. It was really inspirational. It made me want to do more with what I have and never forget to be thankful for what I have and where i come from." 

JEANNE KENNEY: "It was amazing to see how much kids look up to the lady tiger family.  Donovan is 14 yrs old and was speechless when we walked in. The joy that came to his face was the absolute best feeling in the world to me.”

THERESA PLAISANCE:After visiting the children's hospital yesterday I now appreciate even more my health and well being. I sometimes complain about how hard it is to be a student athlete with my hectic schedule and difficult workouts but now I realize how much of a gift it is just to be able to participate in these daily activities. My heart and prayers go out to all these children and their families. And seeing the happiness we brought to these children makes me want to do more to give back to the community.”

SWAYZE BLACK: “On Saturday, September 11 we got the chance to go to Our Lady of the Lakes Hospital to visit with the kids that were there. I really dislike going to hospitals but I can honestly say being able to visit those kids and make them smile at such a tough time was one of the best feelings in the world. I definitely enjoyed being there and I really admire how strong those kids are. It was such a great experience.”

 

ADRIENNE WEBB:Visiting the children in the hospital on Saturday  was a wonderful experience. It made me appreciate all the opportunities I didn't have to miss out on due to any illness or injury that these children are suffering from; and still with those illnesses and injuries these children know how to enjoy the precious life they had. I am greatly appreciative to have the opportunities that I have been presented with and happy that I was able to participate in the hospital visit on Saturday. These experience gave me a new perspective on enjoying the little things that life has to offer you.”

Filed under  //  Community   Team  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Keia Howell making a difference through Basketball Without Borders

I recently returned from my second trip to Africa with the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program!! The program was started nearly a decade ago by Kim Bohuny, VP of International Affairs for the NBA. She and her asst VP, Brooks Meeks, are wonderful people and have become great friends of mine!  They do an outstanding job with the program and continue to make a difference in the lives of many.  The program not only promotes basketball throughout the world, but it also does an extensive amount of charity and humanitarian work as well. 

 

Last year we visited Johannesburg and Uganda in South Africa.  This year we traveled to Cape Verde and Dakar, Senegal, which are both in Western Africa. While there, we put on clinics for both boys and girls. All of the courts are outdoor which makes for very hot days but we had so much fun with the kids!! The biggest challenges with basketball are the facilities and lack of goals and balls. Even though alot of kids play without shoes, they love the game and are very eager to learn!  They are extremely competitive and take the games we play very seriously!!  A simple game of knock-out is serious business!!    

 

We were able to meet the President and other officials of Cape Verde as well as visit the US Embassy. They were very appreciative of the NBA for bringing the program to their island. They realize and recognize the difference that sports can play in childrens' lives as well as the opportunities that it can offer. Most schools don't have any sports programs but they hope that will change in the near future!  Cape Verde is such a beautiful island and I'm so thankful for the experience and for the love that was shown to us by the natives.....

 

From there, we went to Dakar where the first ever BWB camp for girls was held!! The program in Africa has always been for the top boys around the continent. Close to 100 boys are flown in for the camp where they receive coaching and instruction from top NBA players, coaches, scouts, and general managers.  It is an opportunity of a lifetime for these kids! Many of them end up in prep schools and colleges around the US!  So this was a very exciting time for the girls!  

 

40 girls from all around Senegal were able to participate in the 4 day camp. The girls were very excited and eager to learn!  In the gift bags from the league were probably the first pair of real basketball shoes that most of the girls have ever had.  I was highly impressed with the level of skill, fundamentals, and work ethic that these young ladies had. Although women are culturally shy and not very outspoken, they were aggressive on the court!  WNBA legend Tameka Raymond and I worked with the post players, while WNBA All-Star Nykesha Sales worked with the guards. They caught on very quickly to the drills and moves that we taught. It was a bit challenging since we had to use translators, (they speak French) but we managed!  The players and coaches were very appreciative and the girls worked extremely hard. We had so much fun and it an experience I won't ever forget!!!

 

The experience made me realize how blessed and fortunate we are to live in America where there are countless opportunities to achieve whatever dreams we have.  OPPORTUNITY. Something that we take for granted and the main reason everyone around the world wants to come to the US. I thought about what having the opportunity to play college basketball would mean in the lives of these girls. It would mean the chance to get a college education, the chance to have a job making more than cents a day, the opportunity to send money back home and feed an entire village for dollars a day, the opportunity that for most, no one in their family has ever had. The opportunity to inspire and to be a ray of hope for other girls in their country who aspire to do the same. 

 

I had to ask myself, did I appreciate the opportunity to play at LSU or did I take it for granted??  Sure, I did everything I was supposed to do.  I did well in school and I worked hard in practice.  But was that enough?  For us, if you're a good athlete, make decent grades and do enough to get by, we get a full ride, live in the nicest apartments on campus, travel first class, and have someone to assist us in whatever it is we need. Strength coaches, trainers, tutors, guidance counselors, the list goes on and on. But for those girls, the opportunity to play collegiate basketball are few and far between. Very few of them will ever have the opportunity to leave their native countries and will live in conditions that most of us wouldn't want to spend an hour in....  Trust me, I've seen it with my own eyes.   

 

I hope that by sharing my experiences, someone will be more appreciative of the things we all often take for granted . I'm so grateful for the opportunities I've had with Basketball Without Borders and the chance to travel the world and in some small way, make a difference.  I thank God for the experiences because they have changed my life forever!!!

 

We should all complain less and GIVE MORE.  Our time, talents, resources, and LOVE. It does make a difference!  

 

Keia Howell

Lady Tiger for Life!

Filed under  //  Alumni   Community  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Kisha James takes enthusiastic ways to tailgating

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From: TheTownTalk.com

Tiger Stadium is but a hop, skip and a jump for a group of Cenla residents now living in the state capital.

 It was Pineville native Kisha James who got her group of friends involved with the "Krewe'd Awakening" tailgating club in Baton Rouge.

Readers may be familiar with James, as she was a standout high school athlete who signed on with the Lady Tigers basketball team as a red-shirt freshman. James was grand marshal of the Alexandria Mardi Gras Association parade in 2006. The year before that, her basketball jersey was retired at Pineville High School, prompting the City of Pineville to declare January 28 "Kisha James Day."

James has been a part of Krewe'd Awakening for eight years.

"I just kept the tradition (of tailgating) since I graduated," James said.

James, along with friends Tonya Gilchrist, formerly of Alexandria, and Aimee Welch former (Lady Tiger manager), formerly of Cottonport, are especially good at the partying aspect of tailgating. They admit they aren't big chefs.

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/aZFBNe

 

Filed under  //  Alumni   Community  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Lady Tiger staff participates in Shaquille O'Neal Golf Tournament

The LSU Lady Tiger staff including Travis Mays and Angela Jones spent the day at the Shaquille O'Neal Golf Tournament.  The annual event is held to raise money for the Shaquille O'Neal CHAMPS Life Skills Program and is always one of the feature golf events in Louisiana. Shaq was in rare form, no doubt still feeling good after defeating Charles Barkley in Shaq Vs.

Filed under  //  Community   Team  
Posted by Bob Starkey 

Angela and KG spend time with a special group -- The Capital Area Tigers

ANGELA JONES: Yesterday evening Katherine Graham (KG) and I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting with some of the Capital Area Tiger members.  It was a great experience for the both of us to just be able to talk, and get to know a part of the Lady Tiger support system.  It was also our great pleasure to have KG present Chico Moore, one of the members with a special gift on behalf of the Lady Tigers for his special hospitality with this year’s Summer Cookout.  The members were excited about the upcoming season and we look forward to seeing them pack the PMAC!!!!  We also, look forward to continuing our relationship with the Capital Area Tiger members and building the legacy of our great program! GEAUX TIGERS!

 

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Filed under  //  Community  
Posted by Bob Starkey