Myah Selland ranks 10th on the career scoring list for SDSU women’s basketball with 1,602 points in five seasons. Tori Nelson should join the 1,000-point club next year in her fourth season. They’ve paced the Jackrabbits to Summit League titles, NCAA tournament appearances and a WNIT championship.
Clearly, they have created a legacy in Brookings. But, to use a basketball cliché, the pair isn’t content to “leave it all on the court.”
They’re in the process of creating a legacy that will live on in future generations. In late February, they created Her Turn, which has a goal to send middle school girls to SDSU summer basketball, volleyball or soccer camps. To be eligible, the campers’ families must be enrolled in the Brookings School District free-and-reduced lunch program.
Applications were due May 6 with five to 10 students to be selected by an advisory committee for camps held in June and July.
Heading into the application deadline, the student-athletes said donations had been received from 50 to 60 community members and SDSU supporters. “It’s been fun to see where the donations have come from,” Selland said. Brookings Foundation, a tax-exempt charitable organization that works with a number of funds, handles the financial end.
Foundation policy doesn’t allow the student-athletes to state how much has been raised but sports camp registrations cost about $300.
Her Turn: Eliminate participation barriers
In addition to camp registration, Her Turn will also address other barriers that may prevent participation, such as transportation to camp and sports shoes or equipment. Participants also will receive a goodie bag with hygiene products and snacks. “Anything to make them feel more comfortable at camp,” Selland said.
The motivation to start Her Turn came from Selland and Nelson’s own experience—not that they went without. Actually, just the opposite.
“Our passion for sports began early as we were both surrounded by families that opened the door to sports for us,” Selland told the SDSU college newspaper. “Unfortunately, sports participation is becoming more and more burdensome on families. Sports experiences are expensive, time-consuming and often require special equipment.
“We understand our privilege to have grown up in families who had the means to provide sports experiences to us.”
Players get community support
Selland, who will begin her sixth and final SDSU season in the coming school year, was a three-sport standout for Sanborn Central High School. Nelson, who is entering her fourth Jackrabbits season, grew up in Mendota Heights, a south Twin Cities suburb. Despite rural/urban differences, the teammates have become roommates and friends.
Nelson said, “We’re both very passionate about women’s sports. Last fall, we were discussing how to use our platform as Jackrabbits and said let’s make a difference.”
They’ve gotten help along the way from faculty members September Kirby ’83/M.S. ’94 and Jessica Meendering ’02, who served as a sounding board and led them to Kurt Osborne, director of the Brookings Foundation. The advisory committee members are Chad Adamson ’95/M.S. ’99, Mickelson Middle School; Carleen Holm ’93/M.S. ’97, Dakota Prairie Elementary; and Erinn Thomas ’14 with Boys and Girls Club.
A unique mission
“We have been fortunate to have our turn, and now we want other young girls to have these same experiences,” Nelson said.
To help create opportunities for future SDSU sports campers, go to www.brookingsfoundation.org/herturnsd.
