By ROBERT CESSNA
Most girls go to Gary Blair's summer basketball camps with aspirations of earning a scholarship to Texas A&M, but for the girls from Big Bend High School the experience is one of life's rare treasures.
This was the sixth straight year players from one of the nation's unique programs attended the A&M women's basketball camp. The Big Bend Paisanas have had a girls basketball program since 1999-2000, even though the school doesn't have a gym.
The girls practice outside, contending with heat, cold, wind, even rain and ice. Getting to spend a few days at the Cox-McFerrin Center for Aggie Basketball for them is rather enjoyable.
"In gyms, it's really different," said sophomore Karli Sherman. "With no wind, you don't have to move forward or back."
Sherman attended her third A&M camp last month.
"I want my skills to get better and I want to learn more," said the 5-foot-6 point guard. "I want to go to college, and hopefully play college basketball."
The trip for Sherman and eight others from Big Bend was spearheaded by Marcy Reed, who teaches math at Terlingua Elementary and Algebra at Big Bend High.
Reed is the wife of Reagan Reed, who launched Big Bend's girls basketball program eight years ago.
"He saw a lot of potential in the girls," Marcy Reed said. "I think a lot of it was they weren't necessarily supposed to be aggressive or play sports in a lot of instances."
Reagan Reed teaches physical education for all grades, so he was able to identify the more talented players, but the program still suffered growing pains.
"They didn't win a game for three years," Marcy Reed said. "Finally, they had a victory. And they've just gotten better and better since then."
Reagan Reed can't make trips to Blair's camps with the girls because of University Interscholastic League rules. The school's basketball program isn't UIL sanctioned, but its golf and cross country programs are, and Reed also coaches the girls in those sports.
It's one of the few times he isn't pouring his heart into the community, which is just a few miles from the entrance to Big Bend National Park. Many of the girls used to live in Mexico, but the border crossing was closed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. That forced families to decide which side of the river to live on.
Because the closest school in Mexico is more than an hour away, Big Bend was more appealing. Several people are living in two-room houses, just so the children can attend Big Bend.
"It's just an interesting community," Marcy Reed said. "The girls, most of them are bilingual and they're very unique. It's a unique community. And honestly, I couldn't describe it to you, you would have to come visit."
The schools, which opened in 1997 and have 120 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, have had one student attend A&M. But that student had to make several stops at junior colleges and community colleges before making it to Aggieland.
"I've taken them on campus tours before," said Marcy Reed, who graduated from A&M as did her husband. "I've taken them to the Rec Center, it blows their mind. I mean it's just amazing facilities. We have Sul Ross [State University] which is 80 miles away in Alpine. And they see that all the time. But being here and being involved and participating at this big university, I just want them to know there's a difference between smaller colleges and Division I colleges. And they can aspire to make their grades and come here. It would be excellent. And that's been my goal. And my husband would love it, too."
The Terlingua and Big Bend faculty would settle for just one coming directly to A&M or any of the state's bigger schools, a dream that becomes more viable each year with the students improving academically and athletically.
Sherman has played on the varsity basketball team since the seventh grade. She's able to do that because Big Bend plays an independent basketball schedule and does not have to abide by UIL rules. The school is looking into changing that.
Reagan Reed has explored the possibility of the school hosting home games in Alpine. Only a handful of schools -- Permian Basin Christian, Marfa, Fort Davis, Presido and Valentine -- have been willing to brave the elements and play outside at Big Bend.
Home games are a big event, even though both teams have to dress in rest rooms and classrooms. Terlingua's third- and fourth-graders find as many folding chairs as possible in the remaining classrooms to put around the open court. Score is kept by hand and the principal typically is one of the referees along with a retired Big 12 referee who lives in the area. They first kept time with a watch, but have since added an electronic timer.
"It's really a total school effort," Marcy Reed said.
It's typically the only time parents and relatives get to see the girls play. Profits from the concession stands, which include homemade burritos, help defray the cost of the girls attending Blair's camp. The girls also raise money from T-shirt sales and an annual fish fry.
In addition to attending camp, the girls get to stop at the Wal-Mart in Fredericksburg and this year they also stopped at SeaWorld in San Antonio. Previous trips have also included a stop at Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels. It's an action-packed three or four days.
"You can tell the ones who have been to camp and the ones who haven't, because they learn so much," Marcy Reed said. "They get to meet other youth. And they are away from home and can be independent for a few days."
Big Bend students are used to challenges. Before the school opened they had to bus to Alpine.
"It was the longest bus trip in the nation [for students]," Marcy Reed said. "It was a 160-mile round trip. One of the major networks came and did a story."
The Reeds are looking forward to when the media can return, possibly when the Paisanas have their first home game in a gym.
There are blueprints for a multi-purpose facility, but prospects have dimmed since the border closures, which caused a slight drop in enrollment. A gym would almost cement the school's inclusion into the UIL.
"These girls know about the playoffs and they know they're good," Marcy Reed said. "They've played against varsity teams."
But for now, the girls will make a lot of road trips, keep getting better and make the annual trek to College Station, where they will be asked about their unique program.
"I don't really get tired of talking about it, it's kinda fun," Sherman said.
Blair is just glad the Reeds and the Big Bend community put forth the effort to bring the girls.
"These kids have worked very, very hard to be here," Blair told his campers on the final day. "They didn't have advantage of having Mom and Dad pay for them to be here."
Blair reminded all his campers that when it comes to athletics or academics, it doesn't matter if you are from Big Bend, the Brazos Valley or Greater Houston.
"All kids are created equal when it come to opportunities," he said.
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