Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PARKER
TEAM USA CHOOSES KANSAS TRACK COACH
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2009
Stanley Redwine will coach distance in the August games. PAGE 29
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 26
PITCHING IN PINSTRIPES
Jayhawk drafted by Yankees
Shaeffer Hall accepts Yankees after two other major league offers
BY HANNAH DECLERK
hdeclerk@kansan.com
He spent his days as a young boy wanting to be them. He pictured himself on the dirt mound, shifting his knees and wiping the dirt onto his fresh white trousers. He imagined himself bouncing the white ball into his brown glove. Up and down, up and down. He would look left, then spit right, and then hurl the ball toward home plate.
"Shaeffer, Shaeffer!" They would call.
He dreamed, like any fourth grader, of becoming something great. Spending his summers at Kansas Baseball camps, he would picture himself as the college players. His dream came true when he was recruited to play with the University, and went above and beyond when he was recruited to a Major League Team.
In the spring of 2009, Shaeffer Hall, left-
handed pitcher from Lee's Summit, Mo., completed his second year as Kansas baseball's starting pitcher and was recently recruited by the New York Yankees in the 25th round of the Major League Baseball Draft. After all his accomplishments, he said he still saw himself as average, or just a guy who had to work hard and believe in himself to get to where he was today.
Shaeffer spent the majority of his life in sports. His family motivated him to stay active and got him involved with football, basketball and baseball.
"Growing up, I didn't have a favorite or best sport," Shaeffer said. "Whatever season it was I was just enjoying doing it."
Shaeffer said one of his fondest memories was of a baseball camp he attended in fourth grade. It was at the University, and he said he remembered wanting to be one of the Kansas baseball players.
"I have always been a KU fan. Living an hour away from the University, it has always been a family tradition," Shaeffer said. "Looking back to what motivated me to pitch was watching the older players and wanting to fall in their footsteps. I wanted to be them."
His love of sports continued through high school, but it wasn't until his senior year that he started to excel in baseball.
Eric Hall, Shaefer's father, said Shaeffer's most unique trait was that he had always been a hard worker.
"He was never the biggest or the strongest, but he always worked hard to keep up with his teammates," Eric Hall said.
Shaeffer said he did not expect to be recruited to a Major League Baseball team right out of high school — but he was. He was drafted to the Texas Rangers, but turned down the offer to pursue an education.
"I wasn't really ever satisfied with what I accomplished," Shaeffer said. "I knew that at the time, going to school would be the best for me."
Shaeffer decided to play baseball at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo. After only one year at the college, Shaeffer was recruited by another Major League team, the Cleveland Indians. He said he turned them down because in his eyes, a greater opportunity came along — a chance to play with the University of Kansas.
SEE HALL ON PAGE 27
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
'Hoops 2 Heels' helps athletes build skills for their future careers
BY JASON BAKER
jbaker@kansan.com
Sade Morris accomplished much during her basketball career. The senior guard was Gatorade's Player of the Year in 2006 while in high school and made the All-Tournament Team in the 2009 Women's National Invitational Tournament finals in college.
But there's one thing she missed out on perfecting during her time with Kansas basketball: a resume.
"I should know how to make one; I just don't," Morris said.
Fortunately for Morris and her teammates, making the transition
from playing college basketball to working in the professional world is easier' now with a program called "Hoops 2 Heels."
Trena Anderson, director of operations for women's basketball, started Hoops 2 Heels. The program is designed specifically to help the KU women's basketball team and other female athletes at the University build skills for their careers after college. Anderson said she got the idea from a similar program at the University of Oklahoma called "Sooner Stilettos."
For Morris and her teammates, their world consists of playing home and road games, practicing, going to class and tutoring for four years. But
Hoops 2 Heels aims to help them when they trade in their jerseys and sneakers for more work-appropriate attire.
The first event, "Game On: Not Just on the Court," will take place this month. Anderson said the event would feature 20 to 25 female professionals speaking to the players about the work force.
"We're going to have entrepreneurs, CEOs, lawyers, exercise science majors, mothers." Anderson said. "We want to have different people to offer their life stories to relate to the players."
SEE HOOPS ON PAGE 28
Photo Illustration by Chance Dibben
Photo illustration by Chance Dibben The "Hoops 2 Heels" program started by Kansas Director of Women's Basketball Operations Trena Anderson serves to help players such as senior guard Sade Morris make the transition from sports jersey to workplace. The program's first event will take place this month.