Like most accomplished athletes, McLoud High School graduate Chris Guinn and his soon-to-be teammates share a deep passion for the sport of baseball.
But there is something even deeper that Guinn, his teammates and even their coach share — they are all deaf or hard of hearing.
Guinn, a 2010 MHS grad, has been deaf since birth. Not viewing this as a hindrance, he has kept himself busy nearly his whole life with everything from football and baseball to even trying his hand at basketball and wrestling.
His abilities academically led to a scholarship, while his abilities athletically have given him a starting spot on the Gallaudet University baseball team.
The scholarship will pay half of Guinn’s tuition at Gallaudet, a federally chartered university in Washington, D.C., that is devoted to those who are deaf and hard of hearing. In addition to his excitement about starting his collegiate baseball career, Guinn is excited to get acquainted with others who have lived with the same experiences.
Along with the students, most of the faculty at Gallaudet are deaf, including Guinn’s counselor.
“I’m excited,” Guinn said through sign language, with his parents interpreting. “I will be in a deaf world.”
“This is going to be a whole new world for him,” said Guinn’s father, Mike Guinn. Mike added that this will be the first time in his son’s life that he will be surrounded by those with a similar condition, instead of those who are able to hear.
Guinn has relied on having an interpreter with him at school, but will no longer need that as he goes to college. During his time at McLoud High School, Malinda Bishop served as his sign language interpreter.
“He’s going to be able to communicate on his own,” said Guinn’s mother, Rhonda Guinn.
The Guinns looked at several colleges, even those around central Oklahoma, before settling on Gallaudet.
“We looked at colleges around here that have deaf programs, but he couldn’t get what Gallaudet is offering him,” Mike said.
“It seems like a really great place,” Rhonda said of the university.
When asked by Rhonda if he was excited to get out on his own, without “Mom and Dad” telling him what to do, Guinn simply nodded with a smile.
The hardest part of raising a child who could not hear was wanting him to experience all of the body’s senses, Mike said.
“Even though he didn’t know what he was missing, we knew what he was missing,” Mike said. “He learned everything the hard way.”
This included discovering “hot” means “hot” by touch only.
“He had to touch it to believe us,” Mike said.
Guinn has never viewed his disability as a disability, and the walls of his bedroom attest to that. Everything from little league and high school team photos to trophies and awards surround Guinn’s personal space.
Guinn got started in sports at the age of 4, and was coached for a few years in little league by his father. He played football for a decade, ending his career as the McLoud Redskins’ starting center.
Guinn will play third base for the Gallaudet University Bison, and has already learned he will share a dorm room with a pitcher recruited from Indiana. The Bison are part of the NCAA’s Division III.
Guinn said he is unsure of what he will study in college, but may pursue a career in coaching.
“Once he gets there, he can find something he likes,” Rhonda said.
Letting their son move halfway across the country is an easy decision, Guinn’s parents said, because they know he is a trustworthy teenager. While other teens were getting into trouble, Guinn occupied his time with sports, his father said.
“He’s been an awesome kid. We’re very proud of him,” Mike said. “We trust him enough to send him to Washington, D.C.”
The Guinns contemplated relocating to Virginia to be closer to their son, but opted out of that at his request. Mike said Guinn wants to be able to return to McLoud for holidays and summer breaks to visit his family and friends.
The Guinns said they do plan, however, to take some extended trips to Gallaudet to watch their son play ball.
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Like most accomplished athletes, McLoud High School graduate Chris Guinn and his soon-to-be teammates share a deep passion for the sport of baseball.
But there is something even deeper that Guinn, his teammates and even their coach share — they are all deaf or hard of hearing.
Guinn, a 2010 MHS grad, has been deaf since birth. Not viewing this as a hindrance, he has kept himself busy nearly his whole life with everything from football and baseball to even trying his hand at basketball and wrestling.
His abilities academically led to a scholarship, while his abilities athletically have given him a starting spot on the Gallaudet University baseball team.
The scholarship will pay half of Guinn’s tuition at Gallaudet, a federally chartered university in Washington, D.C., that is devoted to those who are deaf and hard of hearing. In addition to his excitement about starting his collegiate baseball career, Guinn is excited to get acquainted with others who have lived with the same experiences.
Along with the students, most of the faculty at Gallaudet are deaf, including Guinn’s counselor.
“I’m excited,” Guinn said through sign language, with his parents interpreting. “I will be in a deaf world.”
“This is going to be a whole new world for him,” said Guinn’s father, Mike Guinn. Mike added that this will be the first time in his son’s life that he will be surrounded by those with a similar condition, instead of those who are able to hear.
Guinn has relied on having an interpreter with him at school, but will no longer need that as he goes to college. During his time at McLoud High School, Malinda Bishop served as his sign language interpreter.
“He’s going to be able to communicate on his own,” said Guinn’s mother, Rhonda Guinn.
The Guinns looked at several colleges, even those around central Oklahoma, before settling on Gallaudet.
“We looked at colleges around here that have deaf programs, but he couldn’t get what Gallaudet is offering him,” Mike said.
“It seems like a really great place,” Rhonda said of the university.
When asked by Rhonda if he was excited to get out on his own, without “Mom and Dad” telling him what to do, Guinn simply nodded with a smile.
The hardest part of raising a child who could not hear was wanting him to experience all of the body’s senses, Mike said.
“Even though he didn’t know what he was missing, we knew what he was missing,” Mike said. “He learned everything the hard way.”
This included discovering “hot” means “hot” by touch only.
“He had to touch it to believe us,” Mike said.
Guinn has never viewed his disability as a disability, and the walls of his bedroom attest to that. Everything from little league and high school team photos to trophies and awards surround Guinn’s personal space.
Guinn got started in sports at the age of 4, and was coached for a few years in little league by his father. He played football for a decade, ending his career as the McLoud Redskins’ starting center.
Guinn will play third base for the Gallaudet University Bison, and has already learned he will share a dorm room with a pitcher recruited from Indiana. The Bison are part of the NCAA’s Division III.
Guinn said he is unsure of what he will study in college, but may pursue a career in coaching.
“Once he gets there, he can find something he likes,” Rhonda said.
Letting their son move halfway across the country is an easy decision, Guinn’s parents said, because they know he is a trustworthy teenager. While other teens were getting into trouble, Guinn occupied his time with sports, his father said.
“He’s been an awesome kid. We’re very proud of him,” Mike said. “We trust him enough to send him to Washington, D.C.”
The Guinns contemplated relocating to Virginia to be closer to their son, but opted out of that at his request. Mike said Guinn wants to be able to return to McLoud for holidays and summer breaks to visit his family and friends.
The Guinns said they do plan, however, to take some extended trips to Gallaudet to watch their son play ball.
