JOHN KOVACH | Colleges Despite hearing loss, Moose excels

GROVE CITY, Pa. -- Sometimes when Abby Moose is in the huddle with her Grove City College women's basketball team, and there is a lot of background noise, the 5-foot-8 junior guard finds it difficult to hear coach Melissa Lamie talking and the play being called.
That is when the Mercer High graduate, who has a moderate-to-severe hearing impairment even with hearing aids behind both ears, is especially glad she has an understanding coach and teammates who realize her special needs and provide her with reinforcement.
"The only disadvantage is that lots of times I won't hear my coach in the huddle. I won't hear the play that is called," said Moose, who lives in New Wilmington. "I definitely have to turn around and listen [and] to look at the coach.
"When I leave the huddle, I [sometimes] don't know what she said. It does get to me some sometimes. I get frustrated. I have to ask someone what the play is."
But, "I haven't gotten any negative comments [from teammates]. They are very helpful. I appreciate what they are willing to do, to repeat [to me] what the coach says."
Born with handicap
Moose, who attended Portersville Christian High in Zelienople for three years before transferring to Mercer for her senior year, was born with a 60-90 decibel hearing loss for the speaking voice, and began wearing hearing aids when she was six months old.
"My older brother had [a hearing-impairment] and so they checked me after I was born," said Moose, one of five children of Pam and Chuck Moose, who is the girls varsity basketball coach at Portersville Christian.
In fact, Chuck coached Abby there three years before she shifted to Mercer and played under coach Gary Sansome.
Abby said another sibling also is hearing-impaired, making three in the family.
"They called us the hearing-impaired family [at a hospital] because they had never seen any family like that," said Abby, who can barely hear anything without her hearing aids. With them, her hearing loss is reduced to 30-60 decibels, and she can hear just enough to get by with the help of coaches and teammates.
Has become leader
But despite the handicap, Moose has become the team's leader and a record-setting 3-point-goal shooter and one of the top players in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
And she has been invited to try out for the U.S. Women's Deaf "Olympics" basketball team this June, with an opportunity to compete in the World Deaf "Olympics" Games in 2005 in Australia.
Moose recently established two Grove City milestones.
She scored 23 points in a 76-69 win over Waynesburg Jan. 28 to become the school's career leader in 3-point goals with 120.
And she had 14 points in a 52-46 loss to Bethany two Saturdays ago to climb into 11th place on the school's all-time career scoring chart with 778 points -- with still another year left after this one to shoot for 1,000.
Since then, Moose has boosted her career 3-point goals to 127 and her career points total to 796.
Through 20 games (11-9, 3-4 PAC), Moose has led the Wolverines in 3-point goals (32), scoring average (11.9) and steals (53), and was second in assists (65).
Last season, she set a school record by making 62 3-point goals, and made the All-PAC First Team. And as a freshman, she was named PAC Freshman of the Year.
Turns them off sometimes
Although she is dependent on her hearing aids, which cost $1,800 each, there actually are times during the game when she doesn't need them.
"I turn them off when I shoot free throws," said Moose. "I started that in high school and I kind of stuck with it. It is kind of fun. It actually helps. I don't hear any of the opposing fans' noise. It helps me concentrate."
Moose said she tries to "make the best" of her dilemma.
"It really doesn't bother me," she said. "You grow accustomed to [hearing aids]. When you wear them for 21 years, you get accustomed to it."
However, Moose has to wear the hearing aids behind her ears, not within them because, "If I get hit in the ear [with them inside the ear], it will hurt more than when someone else gets hit."
Eyes teaching, coaching
Moose is majoring in elementary education with a 2.97 grade-point average, and is considering becoming a special-education teacher and basketball coach.
"I hope I can take something like this to relate to kids," she said.
She is looking forward to trying out for the U.S. Deaf "Olympics" team.
"Even to try out will be an awesome experience," she said.
kovach@vindy.com