Special Fans Inspire Nebraska?s Newcomers

Randy York N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

About 375 registered individuals and 750 members of their families met 170 Husker freshman/transfer student-athletes Sunday evening, and it was difficult to determine who benefited most – the individuals with special needs meeting their heroes or the heroes interacting with the kids inside Memorial Stadium.

“Tom Osborne Field is sacred ground not only for our student-athletes and staff members, but also for the guests we invited to our annual Husker Heroes outreach event,” Nebraska Senior Associate Athletic Director Keith Zimmer said, pointing out that the event, directed by Life Skills Coordinator Stacey Burling, is designed for individuals with disabilities to hang out and play games with Husker student-athletes, so their families can watch and participate as fans. 

Could there be any happier fan to receive an autograph than this young girl getting one from Haley Thiele, a freshman golfer from Wahoo, Neb.?

Basketball's McVey Describes Reaching Out to Others as Cool, Awesome

Jack McVeigh, a freshman forward on the Nebraska men’s basketball team from Cabarita Beach, Australia, andTierney Lindner, a freshman high jumper on the women’s track and field team from Sun Prairie, Wis., were enthusiastic student-athlete leaders Sunday night.

“I’ve never done anything like this, but it was cool. It was awesome!” the 6-foot-8 McVey said after reaching out to kids for 90 minutes. “I’m not going to lie. I didn’t know what to expect, and I was pretty nervous. But to see the joy in the kids’ faces and in their eyes makes you realize how important this is. I can honestly say that once I loosened up and gave 100 percent of myself playing soccer or shooting baskets, they inspired me more than I inspired them.”

Abby Hubbard, Maddie Balfany, Caitlin McDermott, Kaitlyn Schulenberg, Paige Thompson, Kelsey Hillman and Alexa Dolesh with Austin Zwiebel.

High Jumper Lindner Enjoys Having Fun Just as Much as the Kids Did

Lindner was equally motivated to be a dynamic, fun-loving hero who reached out to encourage kids with special needs, including Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Spina Bifida. “Events like this are why I came to Nebraska,” said Lindner, who also considered a Pac-12 school and another Big Ten institution.

“Tonight showed the unity of Nebraska,” Lindner said. “Last night, we saw 90,000 fans, and tonight all of us newcomers were here, representing all of our sports. We loved reaching out and touching the hearts of the kids in our community and across the state. There’s nothing like this anywhere else. We enjoyed having fun just as much as the kids did.”

Husker freshman pitcher Sean Chandler (left) and Southern Illinois transfer pitcher Austin Johnson get a friendly handshake from a new fan.

Life Skills Seminar is a Requirement and the Experience Unparalleled

The Huskers, along with the cheer and dance teams, collaborated with a number of local and state organizations. All first-year and transfer student-athletes participate in the initial outreach event, a requirement for the Husker Life Skills Seminar.

Nick and Lisa Zwiebel are UNL graduates who live in Omaha. They brought their three children, including 4-year-old Austin, a son with Down Syndrome (pictured two photos above with Husker Scarlet Dance Team members). “We came as a family last year,” Lisa said. “It’s been nothing but great both times. The student-athletes really connect to these kids and the same with the kids to them. You can tell they really love behind out here helping everyone they can.”

Nebraska gymnast Jordan King, a freshman all-around performer from Houston, Texas, kneeled to help an appreciative Husker fan.

Did Life Skills Influence Recruiting? Young: ‘Yes Sir, Absolutely!’

Dedrick Young, a freshman linebacker from Peoria, Ariz., says the outreach event inspired him. “We know those kids cheer for us, so it’s nice when we can cheer for them,” said Young, who expects to play Saturday when the Huskers visit Miami. “Life Skills are unique. You should always give back to the people who give so much to you. I had a great time tonight.”

Asked if Life Skills influenced his recruiting decision, Young was quick and direct. “Yes sir, absolutely!” he said, acknowledging that he selected Nebraska over two Pac-12 schools and a Big Ten institution currently ranked in the Top 10.

Kelly Huddleston, a freshman bowler from Papillion, Neb., accommodated an autograph request, warmed a heart and gained a new friend.

Simon Grew Up Knowing How Much Nebraska Embraced Community

The same mindset holds true for Maddie Simon, a freshman guard from Lincoln, Neb., and new member of the Huskers’ women’s basketball team. She rejected scholarship offers from a Big Ten school, two Big 12 institutions and a member of the Big East Conference. “I grew up in Lincoln, so I know how Nebraska embraces the community,” she said. “I don’t think many other schools have formalized life skills. It definitely broadens your scope and was an important thing to me. Everyone should get involved. It just makes you that much better.”

Bakari Evelyn, a freshman guard from Detroit on the Nebraska men’s basketball team, said Big Red fan support and community involvement are “amazing”. “I’m so proud to be a part of a program like Nebraska,” Evelyn said. “You put yourself in those kids’ shoes, and they love it when you put a smile on their face. They definitely put one on mine.” Evelyn said he made three other official recruiting visits and considered three schools beyond those three. He said Nebraska’s Life Skills program is in a league of its own.

Gothenburg, Neb., native Tiani Reeves decided to concentrate on volleyball instead of compete in two Nebraska sports programs.

Volleyball Freshman Reeves ‘Loved Playing with All These Kids’

Tiani Reeves, pictured above, is a freshman outside hitter on the Husker volleyball team from Gothenburg, Neb. She was recruited by two Big 12 schools and two prominent SEC schools. “I had the opportunity to compete in both track and field and volleyball, but chose volleyball,” she said. “I only live three hours from Lincoln. I’m like most fellow Nebraskans. I want to compete for my home state university. I loved playing with all of these kids tonight. It was more than outreach event. It was so cool to cheer them on, especially when you know they’re always cheering you on ... another reason why there really is no place like Nebraska."

Send a comment to ryork@huskers.com (Please include city, state)

Follow Randy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RandyYorkNsider

Randy’s N-Sider Column Archive

Voices from Husker Nation

Thank you very much for putting this article together. These are the kind of inspirational stories that need to crowd their way into the top of the news stack instead of the negative stories that tend to deluge us every day in the headline news. This story took me back nearly 30 years when I witnessed a group of college students that were instructed to go into a pediatric oncology playroom at the University of New Mexico and interact with the kids who were cancer patients.  When they arrived, they were cutting up and life was all about them, and they were the center of their own universe, which was typical for young folks their age. Over the next hour, you could see nearly all of them lose their own self-importance…like shedding an old set of dirty clothes. By the time their stint in the playroom was over, many of the students were not ready to leave and stayed behind and played for hours with the kids.Like your story indicated, the kids that day were happy to have the attention, but it was the students that took a step forward in their own character development.Thanks again for the article! Steve Mattern, Bellevue, Nebraska