In 2005, 2006 and 2007, Paradise Bakery sponsored several volleyball teams comprised of Native American girls, ages 12 to 18, who live on reservations in Arizona. These teams are part of a national volleyball program, Starlings Volleyball Clubs, USA, that serves girls from low-income backgrounds.

    Paradise Bakery sponsored teams from both Navajo and Apache tribes Many of these girls had rarely traveled off the reservation but because of the sponsorship, they were able to compete in Arizona Regional Volleyball tournaments throughout the state and also competed in the Starlings National Championship in San Diego.

    The club located on the Navajo reservation in Tuba City has already made remarkable achievements. In 2005, they finished 3rd place in the Starlings Gold Division in San Diego. Recently, the same group of girls took 2nd place in the Arizona Middle School Championships---barely losing to All Saints Episcopal School of Phoenix. Under the director of Carol Talker, the Tuba City has expanded this year to four teams. Carol is Director of Recreation at the Tuba City Boarding School, where most of the girls on her teams attend school, and where some of the girls live.

    As part of the Starlings program, a Literary/Art Contest is held annually and in 2006 a book of essays, poems, and art work, “A Chance to Fly,” will be published in celebration of the programs 10th anniversary. One of the award-winning essays to be included in the book was written by Sherry Hudson, a 12-year-old Navajo girl from Tuba City.

Sherry Hudson
Starlings – Tuba City, AZ
What Starlings Means to Me

    I have to introduce myself first. This is what I was taught by my grandparents and parents. My name is Sherry Hudson. I am Navajo (Dine). I am twelve years old. My clans are Bitterwater, born from the Edgewater People. My parental grandparent (Chei) is from the Black Streak People and maternal grandparent (Nali) is from the Towering House People. I have four brothes and no sisters. I live in Tuba City, Arizona on the Navajo Nation.

    Starlings means having choices in which sport to play in the summer. In Tuba City and the Navajo reservation everyone plays basketball. For a long time basketball was the only sport available during the summer months. Although I enjoy playing basketball, I love to play volleyball more.
    Starlings is fun. It is about meeting new people and making new friends. Starlings gets us off the Navajo reservation to play the best sport around, Volleyball. I have been to new places and have seen how other people live. Starlings means traveling with teammates and seeing new places.
    Water is used wisely on the reservation so w don’t have swimming pools. My problem is I love to swim. Because of Starlings, I get to go swimming every time we go to our tournaments in Phoenix. Starlings means seeing the ocean and getting to swim in it.
    My mother and I are the only girls in my family. My mom wanted me to play sports while I was still young. She played basketball and volleyball in high school. She knew it would be fun for me to play and to start early in life. I think she is right. In the past my mom and I did not do anything but stay home and watch TV. I started playing volleyball when I was in sixth grade. It was hard at first. I got better everyday at practice and playing in games. Starlings volleyball really helped me get a good start. Now I love to play.
    When I joined the Starlings, I starred getting busy raising money for our trip to San Diego, for the National Starlings Volleyball Tournament. Also helping out were my mom and team. Each team member donates items we sell, so I learned about donations. I learned to help my teammates plan for our fund raising events. I learned a lot of new skills for life. I improved in counting and giving change and how to treat customers. Getting together for fund raising also made us better teammates.Starlings means learning new skills and helping other people.
    Playing on the Starlings team helped me get better physical health. I learned to be dedicated to my team. I look forward to our practice days, it keeps us out of trouble and being lazy. I am dedicated and want to be a better player so I run and practice hard without giving up. Starlings means staying healthy and not giving up.
    I thought summer break meant no reading and writing but this essay is getting me to write, so Starlings means writing, reading, and learning. Starlings means nervous parents and nervous players working together to new places and reach new goal