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Adult learners find their place in a pandemic

TYLER FENWICK
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Adult learners find their place in a pandemic

Tosin Ajayi has always loved working with computers. She’s amazed by technology in general because in Nigeria, where Ajayi lived until 2009, access was limited.
“I like finding ways to make a cell phone work easier and do what I want it to do,” she said. “I’ve always had that curiosity.”

Ajayi, 32, enrolled at WGU Indiana, an online university that caters to working adults, in 2020 to earn a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity. She first went back to school in 2016 at Ivy Tech and has had two children since then.

The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t spare Ajayi’s job in information technology, which she lost in May 2020.

“I didn’t know what I would do with myself,” she said.

Going back to school can be difficult, especially for someone who’s trying to navigate between classes and a job, all while raising children. The proliferation of online courses has expanded access, but it still takes a considerable amount of time and energy.

Ajayi got a significant boost from WGU Indiana, which awarded her a $10,000 scholarship. If she has her way, Ajayi will one day be a cybersecurity expert who tries hacking into systems to show companies — maybe even countries such as her home Nigeria — where they need to improve.

“I’m working toward a better life for myself and for my children,” she said.
Ajayi may have become closer to the exception than the rule by deciding to further her education during a pandemic.

Jerry Haffner, assistant director for adult education at the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, said the state’s approximately 55 providers have seen a reduction in students going back to school for their high school equivalency or technical training since the start of the pandemic.

Part of that is due to practical issues such as stay-at-home orders, but Haffner said the pandemic has also made some people back away from commitments that aren’t essential in favor of those that are: taking care of a family, helping students navigate e-learning, etc.

“Some basic needs have need to be met first,” he said.

Alison Bell, chancellor at WGU Indiana, said it can be intimidating for working adults to return to college — pandemic or not — because of the perception that college is supposed to be for younger people without too many other responsibilities.

Returning learners wonder if they’ll be the oldest in their class or if they still have what it takes to succeed.

Another challenge, Bell said, is a disconnect between the education and corporate worlds when it comes to language. Take “project management” as an example. A student can learn all the necessary skills and credentials, but it’s a lost opportunity if they can’t communicate those things in a way an employer will understand and appreciate.

“In higher ed, we’re just beginning to speak in skills language,” Bell said, “so how do they know if their degree translates to these specific skills?”

WGU Indiana recently received a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment to help adults accurately communicate their skills and credentials to employers.

Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.

Changing lives one injury at a time

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Changing lives one injury at a time

By Breanna Cooper

FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS, Jenna Casale has worked as an athletic trainer at the Athletico Physical Therapy branch in Greenfield. There, she works with student athletes from Eastern Hancock High School to treat sports-related injuries, which she has personal experience with.
During her senior year at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, Casale injured her knee playing for the soccer team. After working with an athletic therapist, Casale discovered her career path.
“When I realized there was a job that allowed me to stay around sports and help others, I decided that is exactly what I wanted to do,” Casale, 24, said. “They [physical therapist and high school athletic trainer] genuinely cared about me outside of just my knee injury and made the recovery process fun, engaging and worth every second. … I knew I wanted to be able to help others the way I was helped.”
After studying athletic training at Anderson University, Casale quickly found her footing in the profession.
“My experience in the field has been crazy, fun and baptism by fire,” Casale said. “ … My absolute favorite part of my job is the relationships I get to build. My athletes know to come to my training room when they are injured, but they also have realized that they can come in my training room anytime for anything. We talk, laugh, share stories, and they know they have somebody that will listen to them even for five minutes.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 8.6 million sports-related injuries are reported every year in the United States. Casale said injuries change based on sports seasons, but the most common injuries she sees are ankle injuries and injuries to the lower back and shoulders.
“A lot of my athletes in basketball, volleyball, softball, cheer and football have ankle and shoulder injuries,” she said. “They have acute episodes that occur during the season or several of them have chronic issues from previous injuries.”
To treat her athletes, Casale works on ankle strengthening and shoulder mobility and strengthening depending on what each individual athlete needs. For back injuries, Casale said she focuses on flexibility and core strength to help manage and alleviate pain.
To avoid injuries, Casale said it’s the little things that can make a big difference.
“Avoiding injuries is all in preparation and doing the little things right,” Casale said. “Take the extra time before and after a workout, practice or game and stretch. … Also, working in the weight room, focusing on proper form can help better prepare athletes. Lastly, drink water! Stay hydrated, always. It’s also important to enjoy what you are doing. Sports require a lot of hard work, but they should still be fun.”
While athletic therapy is often a lot of work, Casale said her athletes make the workload enjoyable.
“My athletes and the relationships we have been able to build are the highlight of each day and make all the hardships worthwhile,” Casale said. “Helping them, in any way I can, is all I could ask for, and I am blessed to have the privilege to take care of them.” I

Nonprofit offers opportunities in media to youth

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Nonprofit offers opportunities in media to youth

By Dennis J. Jarrett

By Dennis J. Jarrett

Access. Train. Connect. These are the three pillars that signify the mission of The Next Generation Initiative (NextGen), an Indianapolis-based 501(C)3 organization. What started as an extension of a curriculum-based video program within Warren Township Schools and the Walker Career Center has grown into a city-wide initiative to provide career training for young people interested in pursuing a media production career.

It Started with a Vision

The vision is to provide opportunities for young people, who would not normally have access to professional equipment and training. They receive hands-on experience and guidance to prepare them for success in what is a very competitive industry. The result of their training produces a “ripple effect” wherein participants develop industry-standard skills, and in turn, use those technical and creative skills to impact their community. 

“From my association as a member of the board of advisors, I got to see firsthand the impact The Next Generation Initiative was having on young people. As I took on the role of president for FrontRunner Media, it was a no brainer to invest our time, talent and dollars to continue providing these great opportunities for young people who, in normal circumstances would not have access to the resources and training the program provides,” stated Gary Naylor, FrontRunner Media president.

Impact Opportunities

With the steady growth in the penetration of digital media throughout all sectors of the marketplace, NextGen believes there will be an increase in the number of individuals aspiring to make a career out of this type of work. By providing this exposure and experience at the high school and post-high school level, The Next Generation Initiative believes our participants will have the opportunity to accelerate their skill development and subsequently increase their chances for success in the media production field. 

 A key component of our training is the real-world projects on which our participants have the opportunity to work. For instance, over the past four years our NextGen team has provided live coverage of sports events through our MIC Network, one of the only high school sports networks in the country. We have also partnered with other media organizations including WRTV, IndyStar, Ball State University SportsLink and WTHR to provide training and project opportunities for our participants. We put this training in action by producing projects for companies and organizations like Community Health Network, NCAA, Tom Wood Automotive Group, Salesforce and HealthNet, just to name a few.

According to NextGen Program Coordinator Dennis Jarrett, “It is vitally important that we establish the type of partnerships that result in an enlightening and empowering experience for our participants now, and a real connection to career opportunities in the future.”

Helping our young people see the incredible role that media communications can play in community development is also a key aspect of what we do. To this end, we have developed NextGen Productions, a long-form media division focused on producing community-impact documentaries such as “Faces In The Desert,” a working project on the food insecurity issue in Indianapolis.

Going Forward

The Next Generation Initiative is having a profound impact on the lives of youth, instilling dreams and opening doors of opportunity few thought possible for these kids. To date we have more than 60 former program participants who are actively employed in the media production and communications fields. And we have seen hundreds of participants go on to pursue media communications as the degree choice at the university level.

We are also extremely excited about this new opportunity to partner with the Indianapolis Recorder to train young journalists and create digital content for their online and social media platforms.

Dennis Jarrett is the president and program coordinator for The Next Generation Initiative. He has over 30 years of experience in television broadcasting, video production and digital content creation.

At home with technology

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At home with technology

By Rupal Thanawala

Families celebrating birthdays on video conferences, kids studying via e-learning, buying groceries online, consulting doctors on tele-visits, working from home or applying for unemployment benefits, these are becoming new routines during “shelter-in-home” to stay connected, efficient and informed. However, there are just too many new gadgets and information that can be overwhelming for those who are not comfortable with technology.

Here are a few tips to help you.

Cybersecurity — First thing first, please pay extra attention to security on both the computer and mobile device. Create a long complex password with characters, symbol and numbers. Set up (really hard) challenge questions in your profile that are not easy to guess. Enable two-factor authentications so that a separate code is sent to your phone or email to complete sign-in process. Additionally, you can set up your device for touch screen or face recognition for sign in. Do not open links or suspicious mails. Cybercrimes have increased significantly in the past four weeks. 

Connectivity — It is also important to have a fast, reliable and safe internet connection at home as everyone is hunkered down and the data consumption of cell phones can be expensive. Comcast, Charter, Spectrum and many service providers are offering free 60-day service during this time. You can also check out school websites for efficiency software and programs that can be accessed for free. 

Students — Classrooms are transformed and educational content is delivered via various e-learning platforms such as video conferencing, school websites or lesson notes sent as links. Make sure your students are accessing content delivered from school resources only and remain focused during study time. It is a new way of learning and students may find it harder to be engaged as they miss their familiar classroom environment.

Small business owners — Many small businesses are struggling to stay relevant or have been temporarily shut down. Use the time to set up your business’ Facebook page, LinkedIn profile, build a mobile app or even a website. Most of the social media platforms are free so you can promote your products or services, send messages to your customers and collect orders. However, there are many do-it-yourself like tools available to build mobile apps and websites for a very small hosting fee where you can enable an online store as well.

Emotional and physical well-being — It is even more important to stay physically and mentally fit during this time. Set up a video chat with family and friends using tools such as Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp and other tools (there are too many to list). It is hardest for the seniors so use creativity to engage them. You can play music together, set up a workout session, learn a family recipe or celebrate special occasions virtually.

Professional development — If you have downtime, think about learning new skills so you can jumpstart your career in new direction or upskill yourself in your career track. There are many universities and organizations offering free courses including Eleven Fifty Academy offering free coding courses.

Rupal Thanawala is managing partner of Trident Systems and technology editor for Recorder Media Group. Contact her at rupalt@indyrecorder.com.

Stand up, Speak up, Move up — Effective communication in the workplace

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Stand up, Speak up, Move up — Effective communication in the workplace

By Cathy Holloway-Hill

It is no secret that effective communication and strong interpersonal relationships top the list of necessities for a successful career. Communication breakdowns are the main cause of business disputes, team challenges and relationship problems. Progressing in your career and having an overall improved quality of life will require the development of exemplary communication skills in order to connect with others and persuade them to buy in to your ideas.

Emotional intelligence is a popular topic on the minds of many successful executives because it has been proven that connecting with employees’ emotions is the key to building a strong successful business that benchmarks your organization in the industry. Happy employees equate to productive employees which also equates to satisfied customers.

Following are key strategies for enhancing your communication skills at work:

Develop your listening skills

In order to be a great communicator, you must first be a great listener. Research shows we spend 80% of our waking hours communicating and at least 45% of that time is spent listening.  Therefore, it is critical to understand how to listen effectively. While engaged in conversation, concentrate and focus on the person speaking. Make it a point to maintain good eye contact without staring. Do not allow distractions to interrupt the person speaking. In addition to hearing the person, connect with the message the person is trying to convey. If appropriate, repeat what you heard to ensure that you received the message the way it was intended.

Visualize a positive outcome

The power of visualization is effective in many aspects of our lives, and communication is no different. Visualization for success starts with preparation and believing in you. When you visualize yourself as an exemplary, confident communicator, you will begin to align your attitude, beliefs and behaviors around the vision. Your subconscious will store it as a belief, and over a short period of time, it will become second nature for you to effectively communicate.

Think with the end in mind

A critical key to effective communication is to have an objective. What do you expect to accomplish from the encounter? Whether it is a sales pitch or a conversation with your boss, there should be an objective or a desired outcome. Understanding what it is will help you better prepare for the discussion.

Understand the power in nonverbals

You’ve heard the old adage, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it,” and this applies for effective communication. The words you speak only account for a mere 10% of the message.  Your tone accounts for 35%, and your body language accounts for a whopping 55% of the message. Therefore, it is critical to assess the nonverbal signals you portray as a speaker as well as the nonverbals you read as a listener.

In order to experience genuine communication in your relationships with others, you first need to understand where they are coming from and what is important to them. When you have a true interest in who they are (not just what they are saying), it will come across in your connection. People thrive on strong, supportive relationships. Stand out from the crowd as an effective communicator and you will be highly sought in all aspects of your career. Knowing your truth will allow you to communicate with confidence, clarity and commitment to excellence.

Cathy Holloway Hill is a life design strategist, psychologist and author of “Secret Betrayal — How to Heal Female Rivalries.”

Youth sports: Boom or bust?

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Youth sports: Boom or bust?

By Tyler Fenwick

YOUTH SPORTS IS TURNING INTO A behemoth of an industry across the country, and Indiana is taking advantage of some of the lucrative opportunities that come with club teams, large tournaments and promises of better exposure to college coaches.

Youth sports has turned into an industry that, in terms of money, rivals the National Football League. Parents dump thousands of dollars into everything from travel to the special equipment their little athlete just has to have.

It’s not all good news for youth sports, though. The days of playing on the parks and recreation team and then joining the school team are becoming more and more antiquated. It seems to be the case that it’s not enough anymore to play a sport for the sake of making friends and exercising regularly. There’s more pressure on kids to get really good — good enough to catch the attention of college scouts and land a scholarship — by practicing year-round and specializing in a specific sport. It’s why many kids drop sports altogether at a younger age, a phenomenon hidden by the simultaneous rise of large tournaments that haul families from one city to the next.

WHAT YOUTH SPORTS CAN BE

Parents talk to their children about the glory days and make it seem like they were so close to playing college ball or getting a shot at the pros.

If only my right arm hadn’t given out during my senior year.

Coach didn’t play me enough because his kid was also on the team. It was all politics.

But there’s a much more real impact than (maybe delusional) nostalgia that youth sports can have. Kids learn to work together, resolve conflicts, get better through adversity, have fun and hopefully make friends along the way.

“You don’t have to be the best on the team,” says Judy Grubbs, director of operations at The SportZone in Indianapolis. “You don’t have to be No. 1. But to play a team sport teaches you so many life skills you’re gonna need as you get older.”

When The SportZone opened 25 years ago, Grubbs was one of 12 owners. She’s had a quarter of a century to watch youth sports evolve, especially as complexes like hers become more popular, particularly in northern states where the weather doesn’t allow for year-round outdoor sports. In the beginning, The SportZone was mostly dedicated to adult sports. Like a lot of facilities, it was popular among those who had an athletic background and were looking to stay active and continue playing the sports they love. Today, Grubbs estimates youth sports represents about 80% of The SportZone’s programming.

“I could give you a lot of different reasons for it,” she says. “They think, ‘Oh, it looks fun,’ and it’s a good business to be in, and maybe you can make a little money, and you’re doing something for the community. I don’t know all the reasons.”

The SportZone recently applied to establish a nonprofit that would allow local kids, whose families otherwise might not be able to afford it, to go to the sports complex after school and participate in camps and clinics. Not only would it provide an opportunity for regular physical activity, but those kids would also get to experience the social benefits of participating in a team sport.

Even at the enormous Grand Park Sports Campus complex in Westfield — with 31 multi-purpose fields, 26 diamonds and three indoor facilities — there’s still an emphasis on making sure the everyday kid who’s probably not getting a Division I scholarship has access to one of the premiere sports facilities in the country.

William Knox, the director at Grand Park, says the complex has been working with local parks and recreation organizations to get those kids access to the fields. Grand Park draws big-time tournaments from around the country throughout the year, but the community of Westfield put up tax money to build the complex, first conceived by Mayor Andy Cook, and deserves to use it, even if they’re not star athletes.

WHAT YOUTH SPORTS 

CAN DO FOR A CITY

A study conducted by the city found 2.5 million people visited Grand Park in 2019 and created an estimated $150 million in economic impact. The complex hosted more than 10,000 baseball and softball games; Pacers Athletic Center hosted the USA Basketball National Championships and Nike Elite Youth Basketball for boys and girls; and Pro X Foundation’s “Tailgate with the Legends” brought in $35,000 for youth training scholarships.

That’s not every event that comes to Grand Park, but it’s some of the big ones. At many other similar complexes around the country, visitors may have to stay at hotels farther away from where games are happening, but Westfield has been adding a hotel per year since 2016.

A single soccer tournament with more than 300 teams resulted in a combined 9,000 hotel room nights, according to Knox. Mayor Cook said there are some weeks when the people visiting town for their child’s tournament outnumber Westfield’s 41,000 citizens.

Grand Park will see about $7 million in revenue in 2020, according to the report, and have about $6 million in expenses, so the campus is self-sustaining.

Mayor Cook says he was passionate about starting Grand Park, which opened in 2014, in part because he saw it as a “driver of an industry.” The return has proven him and others who advocated for the complex, sometimes in the face of opposition, correct.

“Parents will spend a lot of money to involve their kids in a sport of their choosing,” Mayor Cook says, “and as we looked at the different types of sports and analyzed them, we found the sports of baseball and softball and anything that could fit onto a soccer field — soccer, lacrosse, rugby, football — were sports that, across the nation, families were spending a lot of money on. We thought, hey, let’s do this in a grand way.”

Expand this upward trend nationally, and it becomes clear how big of an impact youth sports can have on local economies — and how large the market is becoming. There are private coaches, travel costs, tournament fees and expensive equipment. It all adds up. Wintergreen Research, which tracks the growth of the industry, found youth sports is currently a $19.2 billion market in the United States. That’s more than the NFL at $15 billion. What’s more, the study predicts that market could grow to $77.6 billion by 2026, thanks to travel teams and tournaments. “There is no end to growth in sight,” the study reads.

Knox says even as other industries experience the ups and downs of the economy, youth sports — at least so far — appear to be immune, and the answer seems to be pretty simple.

“We love our children,” he says. “There aren’t many instances where parents are willing to tell their kid they won’t’ be traveling to the championship event they qualified for throughout the year.”

Knox says he’s also starting to see a difference in the way families take vacations. Whereas before families might travel to a coast and the 13-year-old baseball player brought his glove to play catch on the beach, more families are starting to package their vacations together with tournaments. The glove isn’t optional; it’s vacation equipment. Mom might catch some ‘rays and go shopping during pool play.

In Decatur County, where a youth sports complex has eight softball and baseball diamonds, Bob Barker, the parks and recreation superintendent, says participation overall is declining, but tournaments that can bring in up to 70 teams still make a positive economic impact on local businesses.

DECLINING PARTICIPATION

If you want to study the trend of youth sports, one way to make it look really positive is to just consider the large economic impact it has. Billions of dollars get pumped into travel and club teams as parents shell out money for flights, hotel rooms and restaurants on the road. Not to mention the fees that come with just having your child on the team, along with tournaments that charge for participation.

But if you want to consider how many children are participating in youth sports — along with what kind of child is able to play — the picture becomes more bleak.

Barker says enrollment in youth sports has been on the decline in his area. The Decatur County Youth Sports Complex, which opened in 2000, was the result of consolidating disconnected fields into a single place that turned into a sports hub where families could watch all of their kids play and kids could watch their friends. A 2006 article in the Greensburg Daily News says Decatur County “swung and hit a homer” with the $10 million complex.

But times have changed. Barker doesn’t know why enrollment is declining in Decatur County — maybe it’s video games, he says — but he’s not alone in wondering what’s going on.

There’s no doubt the culture around youth sports is changing, shifting from casual play to more intense club and travel teams, and it appears to be one of the main drivers in plummeting participation.

“You had Little League, and then you played for your school teams,” Amy LaMar, from The SportZone, says of the way youth sports used to operate. “That was kind of what was available. And now that has really opened up. For the parents that are trying to get their kids on the school teams — either in hopes of college scholarships or just good experiences — their kids are gonna have to be competitive to secure those spots. … In order to keep up with that, I feel like there’s now a bigger market.”

Each year, the Aspen Institute publishes a State of Play report that includes how much families spend on their kids’ sports ($693 per sport in 2018), how many sports kids are playing (1.87 for kids 6 to 12) and how long they stay in sports (less than three years). According to the most recent report, the average child quits sports by the time they’re 11, “usually due to lack of enjoyment.”

A 2019 study from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association found youth sports involvement is also down in Indiana. Since 2008, football was down 6.6% and wrestling was down 14%. Most surprisingly, basketball saw the biggest drop at 24%.

In Central Indiana, a study from the Sports Innovation Institute at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis found parents spend a little more than $400 on extra coaching per year and about $540 on equipment and uniforms. That’s a hefty investment, and it could be turning youth sports into a high-stakes activity that puts undue stress on kids.

Health experts and those who advocate for youth sports as a positive influence are not happy with participation numbers, but it’s too simple to say everything is declining. Numbers from the Aspen Institute show poor families are dropping from sports at a quicker rate than wealthier families. From 2012 to 2018, the number of children who played a sport on a regular basis dropped by 36% for households with an income under $25,000. For children in families with a household income above $100,000, though, the decline was only 12%.

Market pressures may be driving down the number of opportunities out there for those who just want to participate in a sport for the fun of it, but as long as the low-pressure environments still exist, there are things parents and communities can do to make sure their kids actually want to play — and enjoy themselves while they do it.

Struggles, success and fortunes

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Struggles, success and fortunes

By Tyler Fenwick

A NEW EXHIBIT FROM THE Indiana Historical Society will take visitors more than 100 years into the past to visit Madam C.J. Walker’s factory, where her company produced hair care products that eventually made Walker the first American woman to become a self-made millionaire.

The exhibit — “You Are There 1915: Madam C.J. Walker, Empowering Women” — opened Sept. 21 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, Indianapolis. Actors portray Walker, along with her daughter Lelia (later known as A’Lelia), attorney Freeman Ransom, artist John Wesley Hardrick and company employees Violet Reynolds and Candace Pinkston.

Jo Bennett, an actor who portrays Walker and foreman Alice Kelly, has played in many roles in the various exhibits put on by the Indiana Historical Society, but now she’s part of an all-Black cast that gets to portray the life of a local icon.

“It means, for me, portraying Black excellence,” Bennett said. “It means showcasing empowered women at this time and showing some progress in what would be later known as the Civil Rights Movement.”

Bennett said this is an area of history that doesn’t get a lot of attention because the tendency is to go straight from emancipation to the heart of the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She hopes people who visit get a better understanding of who was there in between.

“There were so many people and allies alike that were working together to better things for the lives of African Americans in our country,” she said, “and this is part of that journey, Madam Walker raising up her own people and providing opportunities that just were not there.”

Most of the items and artifacts in the exhibit are from the Indiana Historical Society’s collections, but displayed in the center of the room is a Ford Model T — one of the types of cars Walker owned and drove — that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum loaned, and at least one photograph is from the Indianapolis Recorder, sister publication of Indiana Minority Business Magazine.

The essence of the “You Are There” series is that visitors are stepping into a photograph. For this exhibit, it’s Walker’s office that comes to life. Everything from the floor pattern to a large safe come from photographs and other pieces of information the research team uncovered.

There are also some pieces of Walker’s life before she became a businesswoman. Visitors will get a chance to simulate using a washboard and then flexing their hand muscles to wring the garments dry, since Walker also worked as a laundress.

Danny Gonzales, exhibits researcher at the Indiana Historical Society, had two other researchers on his team. They had two photographs of Walker’s office to go by, although Gonzales noted it’s unlikely her office was as clean as it appears in those photos, so they added a little clutter to make it seem less staged.

They also had a photo of a small package of Wonderful Hair Grower, which helped heal the scalp and grow hair longer, but a packaging sticker covered some of the label. The researchers took the time to look for advertisements with wording that matched the package so they could fill in the blank and display replicas.

“If it’s wrong, it throws off the experience,” Gonzales said. “It’s tedious. It’s a lot of work. Sometimes it’s frustrating because you can’t get the answers that you want, but we feel like it’s important work.”

More than sports

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More than sports

By Breanna Cooper

IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT BEING INVOLVED IN group sports helps youth and adults grow and learn new skills. For those with physical and intellectual disabilities, being involved in sports can inspire them to advocate for themselves and give them the skills they need to live more independent lives.  

For 51 years, Special Olympics Indiana has been helping athletes — starting at age 8 — learn new sports, make friends and advocate for themselves.  

“I got involved in Special Olympics because I went to a basketball practice one time, and I really liked it a lot and I liked meeting new friends from other parts of the state,” Elliot Daniels, 36, said. “I really enjoy Special Olympics ‘cause it helped me grow into a better person.” 

Athletes Samantha Holt, 27, and Carlos Crawford, 20, had similar experiences. Holt got involved with Special Olympics by showing up to an event roughly five years ago, and Crawford was brought to a basketball game by his brother, who wanted him to get involved.  

Collectively, the three athletes ski, bowl, participate in track and field and play basketball, flag football and corn toss. While they have learned new athletic skills, the social and leadership skills they’ve learned from participating in Special Olympics has been life changing.  

While, as CEO Jeff Moehler put it, there isn’t a “retirement age” for Special Olympics, the organization hopes athletes will work their way up the ladder toward leadership positions.  

Daniels has already taken a leadership class held at Butler University, where he learned to hold meetings and how committees work.  

“Special Olympics has helped me get better on living on my own and taking a bigger responsibility of things that I have to manage and do,” Daniels said.  

Other leadership courses — called Athletic Leadership Programs (ALPs) — focus on public speaking, visual arts and technology. Athletes have to be at least 16 years old to start ALPs.  

Even if athletes don’t move on to work as leaders in the organization, Moehler hopes what they take from Special Olympics will help them advocate for themselves in their daily lives.  

Oftentimes, those with special needs or disabilities are overlooked, Moehler stressed. Instead of speaking directly to a person living with a disability, a doctor may speak to a caregiver, and patients who are disabled may not ask many questions or complain about side effects of medication, losing autonomy in the process.  

Programs, such as ALPs and unified sports — where athletes without disabilities compete with and against athletes with disabilities — are meant to not just teach the love of sports but skills necessary for independence and self-confidence.  

“Special Olympics is their organization,” Moehler said of athletes, “It’s not mine, it’s not the volunteers. … Special Olympics uses sports as a catalyst to change their lives forever.”

One turtle at a time

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One turtle at a time

By Brytnie Devon

Meet Virginia “Ginny” Hibbler. She’s the creator and founder of Ginny’s Chocolate Candy Turtles. Hibbler makes turtles from chocolate, caramel and pecan in milk chocolate, white and dark chocolate or a combination of all three. Hibbler has been making and selling candy for 20 years, however, she’s only been an official business owner since February 2019. 

Indiana Minority Business Magazine: How did you get started making candy?

Hibbler: Well it all started years ago. My girlfriend and I, we just wanted to learn how to make candy. So, we went to a candy-making class and that’s when we learned how to make turtles. We would make them during the holidays to give out as gifts and Christmas presents to our family members and friends and they really liked them. They thought that they were great! Every year, they were looking forward to having the turtles. So, we felt like we needed to make turtles for them every year and that’s what we did.  

They also encouraged us to sell them. They said, ‘These are really good. You could start selling these.’ We did that too. I would go to our churches’ Christmas bazaars and sell them there and they just went over so well.  

I love turtles — for one thing. I’ve always loved turtles, especially pecans and caramel — and that combination just makes it great. So, that’s kind of how it got started.  

Last year I retired, and I decided to try and go into business just to see what would happen because people kept telling me that I needed to do that. So, I did and so far, so good! It’s been going very well.  

IMBM: Did you ever have an “aha” moment that made you realize that you could turn what was a hobby at one point into a full-time business?  

Hibbler: Yes. There was one lady in particular who would buy — because I was selling them before I started the business — and she was ordering like 30 and 40 boxes at a time. She kept telling me how wonderful they were and that I needed to go into business and I’m thinking, this is a professional lady and I know she knows what she’s talking about. So, I’m thinking OK, well why not, why don’t I try that, you know? Because that’s how a lot of businesses get started just from a hobby. So, I’m not sure if there was any particular point, but that’s when I decided let’s do it! Let’s try and do it!  

IMBM: Have you experienced any challenges in this past year as an official business owner?   

Hibbler: You know what I think I’ve been so blessed because everything has been going so smoothly as far as business wise. Every time I do something that’s needed for a business — it was OK, you know, it was successful. I got what I needed as far as my license, I went to the board of health and I got all of that, and I have a shared kitchen where I can go and make the candy. So, all of that has been running smoothly for me. The only issue that I had that was really stressful for me is that I got ahold of some bad chocolate and it wasn’t working well for me. I thought it was me, but I found out later that it was not me. It was the chocolate, the product itself. Other than that, I’ve been really blessed. I really have to say that.  

IMBM: Where do you see yourself and your business in the next five years?  

Hibbler:I see the business at a point where I am shipping outside of the state to different companies, not just individuals, but I am shipping my product to different companies to fulfill their needs for gifts or whatever it may be that they want to do. I see myself hiring employees because now it’s just me, and I get help from family members when I have a big rush or something, but it’s basically just me. But I do see in the future having employees. That’s pretty much it — just getting the business out there. Having a website, of course. I need that right now. Just being successful to the point where I just need more help. 

To place an order, search Ginny’s Chocolates on Etsy or send an email to thechocolatelady@gmail.com. Individual packs of turtles can also be purchased at A Taste of Indiana, 5016 E. 62nd St., Indianapolis. I
 

Preventing sports-related injuries

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Preventing sports-related injuries

By Breanna Cooper

ESPN ESTIMATES THAT 21.5 American children participate in a group sport. While there are obvious health benefits to staying active, contact sports pose a risk for injuries that could have serious long-term effects, including concussions and ACL tears.  

A concussion, also called a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), is a common injury affecting nearly 3 million people annually. Occurring after a blow to the head, symptoms include headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and memory loss. While symptoms can be alleviated by temporarily avoiding sports, television and video games, one concussion increases your risk of having another.  

According to the National Institute of Health, rugby players are the most likely to suffer concussions among competitive athletes, with football and soccer players close behind.  

To prevent concussions during a game or practice, doctors recommend athletes wear headgear that is fitted properly, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there is no such thing as a “concussion-proof” helmet.  

A more serious long-term effect of multiple concussions is chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE has made the news in recent years as some high-profile NFL players, such as Aaron Hernandez, had the disease. The Concussion Foundation said that symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease — which causes aggression, suicidal behavior and paranoia — usually appear in an individual’s early 20s and 30s, and ultimately leads to death. CTE is irreversible and cannot be diagnosed until an autopsy. The best protection against CTE is to avoid multiple concussions.  

A less serious — although significantly painful — injury that often comes with participating in a sport is a torn anterior cruciate ligament, or an ACL tear. The ligament helps stabilize one’s knee joint, and a tear has the potential to be a career-ending injury.  

According to Dr. Ty Richardson of the Louisville Orthopaedic Clinic in Kentucky, a torn ACL can lead to abnormal motion of the knee and increased wear and tear of the joint, which can lead to arthritis over time.  

While not all instances of a torn ACL require surgery, an ACL tear that doesn’t heal properly can lead to poor balance and the knee giving out more often, which can lead to falls that could cause serious injury. If an ACL tear does require surgery — if it’s a complete tear — it can take anywhere from two to six months to heal and nine months until an athlete would begin to perform as he or she did before the injury.  

To prevent ACL tears in contact sports, doctors recommend adequately stretching and warming up before playing, wearing the proper footwear and implementing targeted strength training.

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