IN THE EYE OF RECOVERY


With hundreds dead and thousands more displaced, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will continue to take its toll for years to come. With so many just trying to get through another day, Orlando Early’s job of rebuilding the program at the University of Louisiana-Monroe seems very insignificant. But he still has a job to do.

The former assistant at the University of Alabama knew he had a tough task, taking over a program, which struggled to remain competitive in the Southland Conference over the past couple of seasons. But that pales in comparison to the struggles and challenges that face his team.

“Just getting through the season will be an accomplishment for these kids,” says Early. “Right now I am just trying to keep it normal, keep some sanity. I’m a coach with an accounting degree and neither is very helpful in dealing with some of these issues.”

Early is referring to the counseling and assistance that many need badly. And that includes two players and an assistant coach at UL-Monroe.

David Garrison (6-foot-7 freshman) and James Perkins (6-foot-3 sophomore) were both directly affected by the hurricane. Both New Orleans residents lost everything and Garrison had to wait three days to learn that his mother was alive and relocated in Corpus Christi, TX.

“I can’t imagine what James was going through,” says Early. “He was wondering if his mother was alive and here I was telling him to keeping doing his workouts.”

Like a lot of people, Early felt that keeping busy and trying to stay active would be a good remedy, but that didn’t make it any easier. In addition to his two young players, one of his assistants, Harold Juluke had also lost everything.

“Everything,” Early said. “All three guys lost everything. You hear that a lot lately, but when you see it up close it’s difficult. You can replace some things. You can buy new clothes, but how can you replace photo albums and keepsakes. You can’t and that’s what’s so hard. What can you say to someone?”

And that is the question that so many people continue to ask, in the days and weeks that followed the devastation. But as Early has learned, keeping it simple is the best approach. Whether it’s interacting with his team or visiting with his best friend -- Tulane head coach -- Dave Dickerson, Early has discovered that nothing is actually a lot.

“Dave and I have talked a lot since the Hurricane hit,” says Early. “We talked about his family and I have asked him what I can do to help, but the other day we just talked about nothing. We laughed and talked about nothing of any importance. It was a good conversation and it helped both of us.”

Like Early, Dickerson is in his first season as a head coach. But unlike Early, who still has a campus, Dickerson and the Tulane program has been uprooted and relocated to Texas A&M University.

While Early continues to recruit and plan for the upcoming season, Dickerson searches for a home for his family.

“It’s tough because Dave is like family,” says Early. “That makes other things seem so unimportant including basketball.”

And for a while basketball was the furthest thing from everyone’s mind at Monroe. The Monroe Civic Center, which was supposed to be open for individual workouts, was instead filled with evacuees. Just a few hours from New Orleans, Monroe, LA quickly became a temporary home for thousands.

Looking for a way to help, Early and the entire team went to the coliseum. They were willing to help in any way. He told his team that they may be handing out blankets and passing out food or clothing. The truth was that even Early wasn’t sure how he and his team could help. What he found was almost a pleasant surprise.

“They just wanted someone to talk to them and someone to make them smile,” Early says. “You find yourself wanting to be sympathetic and understanding of their situation, only to find out that all they want is for you to be yourself. On the ride home every player told me that they were so glad we went down to spend time with them. We went to make them feel better and they ended up putting smiles on our faces.”

In the days that followed, slowly but surely all of those evacuated to Monroe began to move on, reuniting with family and finding permanent homes. But nature’s wrath didn’t leave with the evacuees. Buildings damaged beyond repair and home visits at a McDonalds restaurant served as reminders that the aftermath of the hurricane will be lasting.

“You never think that a home visit wouldn’t be possible,” says Early. “That’s something you never consider. So much has changed and it will be like this for a while.”

Seeing the damage to property and lives has given Early a different perspective. Not surprisingly, living through it and being in the eye of the recovery will have a lasting effect on Early and his team.

He entered into the job knowing that he had to change the mindset of the program to one that thought about winning instead of expecting to lose. But his rookie season has taken on an entirely different approach now.

That old cliché ‘one-day-at-a-time’ has never resonated more with Early. It’s all about just getting through the season.

“You think about a rebuilding a program, but there are so many people trying to rebuild their lives,” says Early. “For these kids and others like them it will be a very challenging year.”