Friday
December 02, 2005
SGN.org
Volume 33
Issue 48
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Sunday, Mar 21, 2010
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STARTING OVER: NEW ORLEANS GAY SPORTS GROUPS REBUILD |
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| STARTING OVER: NEW ORLEANS GAY SPORTS GROUPS REBUILD | ||
| Friends and teammates have been scattered all over the United States from Miami to Seattle, says Volleyball player Jared Landry, a seven-year resident of New Orleans.
by Jim Provenzano - SGN A&E Writer For Lesbian and Gay sports organizers in New Orleans, the road to recovery after Hurricane Katrina has been a long and difficult path. For Sharon Gouse, one of the founders of the Bayou Women's Tennis Club, evacuating from New Orleans led her on a trail through three cities. As Hurricane Katrina approached, Gouse squeezed into a Honda with her partner, Tuppie, her 86-year-old father (who suffers from Alzheimer's disease), and two dogs and a cat. They stopped first at an expensive hotel near San Antonio, one of few that accepted pets. Their next stop in Houston was at a less expensive hotel. As Hurricane Rita hit the Gulf Coast, they had to move east to the Tallulah, La., home of a relative. "I had to put my dad in an assisted care home here," says Gouse. "We couldn't keep up the care of him, with me going back and forth to New Orleans, and without the help we had at home." Slowly, Gouse has been able to reconnect with her tennis friends. The Bayou Women's Tennis Club had to cancel its annual tournament, which had been set for mid-October. Tennis has become a distant memory for Gouse. Like other tournament organizers, she says, "I was in New Orleans with my respirator and gloves on, going through a moldy house trying to salvage items." Among them, on the muddy floor of her home, were cans of tennis balls and her racquet bag. Avid volleyball player Jared Landry is currently relocated from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, where the hair salon he had worked for has another shop. A regular player of beach volleyball and indoor matches at Tulane University, Landry says the temporary lack of his favorite activity is a problem, but not as great as the devastation to his city. He did stop by Coconut Beach, where he had played several times a week, saying, "There was maybe one net standing and tons of debris from surrounding businesses just laying everywhere." Landry, a seven-year resident of New Orleans, says his friends and teammates have been scattered all over the United States from Miami to Seattle. "My close volleyball friends are nowhere near me," he says. "Most are in the same situation as I'm in, having lost their homes, unable to return to the city." Although he's happy to be employed and retain some hope, Landry says he has yet to find any sense of normalcy. "In New Orleans, playing volleyball was my outlet. I try to make it to the gym to work out and try to make myself feel better, knowing that nothing is gonna make me feel better until I'm in my home." Kevin Wiemken is the president of Volleyball New Orleans and serves as tournament director for his league's annual Mardi Gras Classic. Founded in 1983, the league has more than 120 members. A field-service engineer who repairs laboratory testing equipment in doctors' offices and in hospitals, Wiemken has been working since Hurricane Katrina in Baton Rouge, where he and his partner live, and in New Orleans. When his home lost power for nearly a week, Wiemken and his partner housed nine dogs (including their own) and seven cats owned by evacuees. Wiemken has seen signs of hope. "Things have started to return to normal," he says. "Most of our friends have come back at least once. Some lost everything. Others have little or no damage. The smell in the city is still bad. You can see the water line on the buildings." Asked about the political controversies that took place over local and federal government responsibilities, Wiemken, who worked on recovery efforts from the first days of Katrina, says, "Is there blame to be placed? I am sure there is. I'm not the one to do it. I have seen several areas that could be improved. The government is dragging its feet. The state government has sent money to other areas that haven't been affected by the storms. Only after public outcry has anything been done to change this." As for their plans for Gay Games or OutGames, which will be held in summer 2006, Wiemken is hopeful that his fellow players will be able to afford the trips. Scholarships are available for economically disadvantaged applicants. Landry says, "With everyone scattered all over, there's really not much talk about us playing [as a team]." Instead, Landry hopes to find a doubles partner for beach volleyball events in Chicago. "Several of our league members plan to go to one of the events and play their respective sport," says Wiemken. "As for scholarships, that would be great. I know some of our players could use the support." The next New Orleans Mardi Gras Classic is planned for Martin Luther King Day weekend, Jan. 14 and 15, 2006. This year, proceeds from the tournament will help local players with ongoing recovery needs. Landry hopes for a good turnout at the tournament. In previous years, up to 70 teams from around the country competed. "It'll probably be very scaled down, as we don't have the hotel space or facilities yet," he says. "But I'm sure it'll be a great success just having the tournament." Jim Provenzano is the author of the novels PINS and Monkey Suits. He can be reached care of this publication or at SportsComplex@qsyndicate.com. Read more sports articles at www.sportscomplex.org. |
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International Readers |
 
It's new!A blog created by the SGN staff so you can be heard |
"Putting on the Ritz |
The Beauty of Freedom artist's reception |
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copyright Seattle Gay News - DigitalTeamWorks 2005