‘It feels like home’: Deaf basketball tournament brings hard of hearing students together

MILLCREEK — Untold by her athleticism, Isabella Aguilar has only been playing basketball for three weeks.

“I love sports of any kind,” she said.

We spoke with the 15-year-old through an interpreter. Aguilar said her passion is archery — she’s actually nationally-ranked and has a goal of making it to the Olympics — but basketball allows her to be part of a community.

“I just feel like I belong here, and I do feel like I’m part of them,” she said. “I mean, in archery, I’m with all hearing people. But basketball, I’m with deaf people and I can see those different perspectives. It’s so cool.”

Aguilar is one of the Utah deaf students participating in the Western States Basketball Classic. The Utah School for the Deaf is hosting five deaf schools from Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Arizona this weekend.

“It feels like home because everyone is deaf or hard of hearing,” said Utah School for the Deaf Athletic Director Jonathan Helgesen.

On the court, coaches and players communicate through sign language and have visual cues, like the backboard lighting up when the refs blow their whistles.

And the stands are filled with cheering fans.

“I feel like it’s a lot more competition because everyone’s deaf, so we’re all on an equal playing field,” said 18-year-old John Dietz. “We know what we can do. We do the same things; we’re all trying to win. We’re all playing hard, because we know that they can do it just like we can.”

And though they’re competing, there’s an apparent sense of unity, as these kids get to play with others just like them.

“They’re going to go to college eventually and they’ll be able to see those kids and know, ‘Hey, we know each other. We have that connection, remember? I played against you. You were tough. You did a good job.’ That kind of thing,” Helgesen said.

Helgesen added this kind of experience helps these kids not feel different.

“We are just regular people playing hard, enjoying the game, just like any other public school would do,” Helgesen said.

Games are being held at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (1655 E 3300 S, Salt Lake City). The tournament runs through Saturday evening and is free and open to the public. They also have a livestream.