Community, Connection, and Pickleball

​I IIIibbbf you ever walk through the Framingham Branch lobby during the week, there's a chance you'll find a trio of women huddled around a laptop. They might be exchanging friendly banter, or maybe they're engaged in an online American Sign Language (ASL) lesson. The reason why will warm your heart.

Linda Houley, Linda Henderson, and Kathy Alpert are regular pickleball players in Framingham. They enjoy the sport's social aspect, some friendly competition, and plenty of fun. But after meeting fellow players Boris and Sharon, who are both deaf, it became much more than that. 

Being able to communicate with Boris and Sharon motivated the three friends to learn ASL. They started picking up basic terminology to use at pickleball, like “start,” “in/out,” and “ball,” along with how to count and keep score. It wasn’t long before they decided to improve their skills by taking in-person classes at Keefe Regional Technical School and the Learning Center for the Deaf in Framingham and online with Dr. Bill Vicars.

Appreciative of their friends’ effort, Boris and Sharon jumped in to guide them on using correct signs and some of the more nuanced characteristics of ASL. 

Sharon has helped the group become more cognizant of the conversations they're having when around a deaf person, as well as proper etiquette and inclusion. She has also helped them keep up with the ever-evolving nature of ASL and encourages them to only use signs when speaking amongst each other to continue improving.

Boris and Sharon are incredibly patient with Linda, Linda, and Kathy. And when the five of them are together, it’s hard not to smile at the joy they bring each other. 

“Almost every day I come to the Y to work out or play pickleball,” Sharon said. “Sometimes I feel alone, but it’s fun when I see them signing.” Thanks to the efforts of Linda, Linda, and Kathy, Boris and Sharon have been able to form meaningful connections at the Y. Their efforts have also been recognized by other members. Whether it’s a question about their classes or they’re helping another player communicate with Boris on the pickleball court, they’re raising awareness for the deaf community.  

“There’s a curiosity out there, and that’s a good thing,” said Linda Houley. 

Learning ASL has allowed the group to challenge themselves. They take turns asking each other questions and have fun supporting one another. If there's a word they don't understand, they'll do additional research until they figure it out.

“They help me so much!” Linda Henderson expressed about Kathy and Linda Houley. “In one of my classes, I had to do a five-minute presentation on a famous deaf person. It wasn't just my project – it was all our project. They were my coaches."

The group plans to continue meeting at the Y to keep practicing ASL so they can communicate with others. In the future, Linda Henderson says she would like to work with infants/toddlers at a deaf center and communicate with little ones and parents. Both Kathy and Linda Houley want to keep learning and practicing so they can communicate better with deaf people. Helping to bridge that gap between the deaf community and hearing individuals only builds a stronger connection between people and nurtures a sense of belonging at the Y. 

“Every time Boris sees us, he gives us hugs because he’s so thankful.”