Klein High School – Imagine hearing the game of basketball slightly different than those around you. That’s what Klein’s Chancellor Simpson has dealt with his entire life, but he hasn’t let it stop him from continuing to excel at the sport he loves.
He let us into his world to understand what he refers to as his hearing impairment and the struggles he’s dealt with. After the third grade, Chancellor’s parents decided to homeschool him and his siblings due to the constant bullying and name-calling.
This school year has been the first one back in a traditional school. So how’s the transition been into a school with over 3,000 students and getting to know his new teammates?
“It’s probably been the most fun I’ve had, just being able to play with my teammates, build connections, know each other, play with each other, and just play the game that we love, it’s really fun,” said Chancellor. “Especially as an introvert coming in here, I didn’t know how friends were going to go, how social relations were, but my teammates, they help me get out of my shell, they welcomed me, it’s very comforting and very nice.”
“Chancellor’s a great guy, I mean, everyone knows, everyone loves Chance,” said senior guard Nick Schatz. “Obviously, he’s a freak athlete; he does crazy stuff on the court, but off the court, he’s a real, genuine guy and great to be around.”
One of the ways the team and coaching staff, in particular, have been able to make things easier for Chancellor when calling out plays in a loud environment during a game is the implementation of hand signals so that Chancellor knows the plays their offense is going to run.
“Sometimes I can’t hear the play, but I see the hands, and I know exactly what to do,” said Chancellor. “Getting to know that I can play how I’m supposed to play within the team, it’s a great feeling.”
Chancellor and the Klein Bearkats will face Cypress Ranch in the Bi-District round of the 6A Playoffs on Tuesday night.