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Monday, March 26, 2018

SHAME ON UCONN

 Wheelchair basketball is offered as an adaptive sport on many college campuses, but not UCONN


In the same week that UCONN Athletics announced the hiring of a new Men's Basketball coach at a salary expected to be worth over $2.75 million in the first year, Connecticut's State University also announced it was scrapping plans for a wheelchair basketball league.

Dan Hurley, the new UCONN Men's coach,  will have a base salary of $400,000 but will make at least $2.75 million in his first season, with supplemental income from media fees, speaking appearances and other perks. He could make up to $3.5 million in the contract's final year.

This decision by UCONN is wrong and also disgusting on so many levels. It sends a clear message that potential students are only wanted if they are "able bodied" and there is no place at UCONN for students with disabilities wanting adaptive spots programs.

I guess athletic departments are measured by their potential to win titles and not by the lives and character they actually build in the students and community.

As the proud Uncle of a Paralympian who is just returning from the Winter Paralympics in South Korea, I will admit, I am somewhat blinded by Andrew's success story. I have also been able to see first hand the development of a young man facing the challenge of living with Cerebral Palsy and how much it has built his character by being involved in adaptive sports and succeeding and excelling.

I have also seen the effect Andrew has had on others just through his attitude and facing his challenges head on. No one that has met Andrew and sees how he pushes himself to meet his goals can ever sit back and feel sorry for themselves when they are having a "bad" day.

And it is not just Andrew. I am sure anyone willing to play in the wheelchair basketball team would be an inspiration to the UCONN community as well as being perfect Ambassadors for the disabled community and showing that barriers can be broken down, especially when it comes to the perception of people living everyday with disabilities.

My sister, Andrew's mother, is a UCONN graduate. Her other son is also currently a Junior at UCONN. Both of them, as well as Andrew have spent countless hours working with and mentoring other adaptive athletes to encourage them and help them develop as full members of society.

UCONN should be focused on breaking down barriers for persons with disabilities, not helping to reinforce them.

This decision is wrong and needs to be reconsidered.
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Anyone one of us could be facing a potential disability tomorrow through no fault of our own , Whether by medical  condition or through an accident or trauma, I am pretty sure we would all hope we would be treated equally and have the same opportunities if we choose to go after them, not to be shut out by a narrow minded decision such as UCONN's.

The  video below is just one more example of the wide reaching influence of my nephew Andrew Haraghey and changing the minds of people towards those with disabilities or in Andrew's case exceptional ABILITIES. You can learn more about Andrew and his adaptive sports quest at andrewraces.com

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

I gotta say, it's a breath of fresh air to see you break from the same ole' redundant bs from the city. Glad to see you bring this to people's attention...on a side note, eliminate city residentcy, just make it most qualified. Regardless. If Buffet, Gates, or Musk wanted to be COO/CFO of the city but wanted to live in the suburbs, so be it. End of the day if their committed the proof is in the performance.

Anonymous said...

Kevin: What UConn and its president are doing is nothing less than shameful, especially when the always well dressed, arogant Ms. Herbst authorized contracts in the million of dollars to some basketball and football coaches.
As for your nephew Andrew: I'm certain that he and his entire family are very, very proud. We should all be proud of him. My best wishes and blessing to you, Andrew!

JAF said...

Kevin,
Congratulations to your nephew for what he has accomplished, and your family for the support he receives. With people such as yourself and others, this is just round one of an eventual wheelchair bball team at UCONN. There are many student athletes with disabilities that would love the opportunity to represent their state university. Former coach Kevin Ollie is a big supporter of disabled athletes thru his Tolland Foundation. There is a first class wheelchair basketball camp that teaches not only wheelchair basketball but gives these kids skills to use thru their lives. It also prepares athletes, with the capabilities, to play college basketball. This is run by the Ryan Martin Foundation, (ryanmartinfoundation.org) a non profit organization. Ryan is one of those athletes that would of been proud to play wheelchair basketball at UCONN. Instead Southwest Minnesota State benefited greatly by having Ryan choosing their school to graduate from and have a successfull basketball career. After playing professionally in Europe, Ryan has returned to CT. with the goal of giving our disabled athletes opportunities he never had. This year is the 10th Anniversary of the RMF Basketball Camp being held July 9-13th in Windsor, CT. Please reach out to ALL organizations that help our disabled athletes. Lets keep the pressure on UCONN to realize they made a mistake.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

JAF,

Thanks for your info. I wasn't aware of the Kevin Ollie connection to the Tolland Fund. The Tolland Fund has been very helpful to Andrew in his efforts. Although Andrew's focus has been om skiing, he has been very involved every summer with the Ivan Lendl wheelchair tennis camps held each summer at the University of St. Joseph

Anonymous said...

I was stunned after reading this.
UCONN has total resource to make this happen.
The disabled are the first group of people to be marginalized with negative discrimination.
They just don’t get the headlines.

Anonymous said...

SUSAN HERBST IS A BIG TIME LOSER HERSELF, JUST LIKE UCONN'S BASKEBALL AND FOOTBALL TEAMS.

Anonymous said...

Shame on UCONN - and - shame on Susan Hernst.

Anonymous said...

Who cares. I'm not into sports.

Anonymous said...

But your kind host of this blog sees this as newsworthy, as it is so. He doesn't post to your interests alone, but to the regard of what he...and we..should find newsworthy, upsetting, frustrating, encouraging, etc. Read slowly what Mr. Brookman took the time to share with us. It doesn't bother you, even a little?

Anonymous said...

4:45pm, To have NO wheelchair basketball team IS newsworthy, IS upsetting, IS frustrating and should bother us all.

Anonymous said...

Uh, yes. That was my point exactly. Why does it seem people jump on posts without actually reading them? I was saying this is an issue that should concern us all. Calm down.

Anonymous said...

CONGRATULATION ANDREW!Job well done.
UCONN President Susan Herbst spends money like running water. She should be fired. I am still not sure why Kevin Ollie was fired. However, Ollie's Tolland Foundation supports disabled athelets. UCONN wake up! Put in the next budget money for disablied athelets and make Connecticut proud.
Kevin, great news reporting.

Anonymous said...

And what this anonymous was simply saying that you were right.

Anonymous said...

Sorry. I misunderstood. I thought you thought I was being dismissive. Apologies.

Anonymous said...

Didn't Susan Herbst pay Hillary Clinton over $200,000 for an hour speech in UCONN couple years ago?
Didn't Susan Herbst pay Bob Diaco millions of dollars for his failed performance in UCONN?

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, this is the same UCONN President Susan Herbst that gives the store away at UCONN. She should pay out of her ridiculous salary reimbursement to the taxpayers for all her pay outs. UCONN must fire her. The students suffer in higher tuition each year because of her negligence. The Legislature is going to stop giving UCONN
large sums of money. Wake up Susan!

Anonymous said...

Way to go Andrew! Congratulation and Best Wishes

Anonymous said...

CONGRATULATIONS TO ANDREE!

PITY AND SADNESS TO UCONN.

Anonymous said...

Obviously the biggest loser here is Susan Herbst. She can offer any explanation to her decision, however, she did an excellent job herself tarnishing her own image.

Anonymous said...

Obviously the biggest loser here is Susan Herbst. She can offer any explanation to her decision, however, she did an excellent job herself tarnishing her own image.

Anonymous said...

7:13 AM
To the best of my knowledge, if you add all administrative and security costs, UConn spent way more than 1/4 million dollars on that Hillary Rodham Clinton's speech.

Anonymous said...

1/4 million for candidate Hillary speech? Paid for by state university? Are you kidding?
Something here is wrong.

Anonymous said...

Kevin, why don't you change the headline of your report to: "SHAME ON UCONN. SHAME ON SUSAN HERBST."

Anonymous said...

I guess Connecticut got some women leaders. Here are 2 women to watch: Susan Herbst and Elizabeth Esty.

Anonymous said...

Something is extremely wrong with the amount of money the State of CT lawmakers give to UCONN. Every Senator/State Rep. should be voted out. It is time new leadership distributes the funds. Fire Susan Herbst now.
Andrew job well done!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Andrew!

Anonymous said...

5:14 calling Herbst and Esty leaders? If what we hear about these two "leaders" is true, then they're more like the garbage of Connecticut.

Anonymous said...

UCONN should be ashamed of this media report. Maybe some lawmakers are waiting out time. Of course, this is an election year. Hopefully, Susan Herbst will be fired.

Anonymous said...

WITHOUT A DOUBT SUSAN HERBST MUST BE FIRED.