Houston standout makes transition from homeless teen to college-bound player

HOUSTON — Inked in bold, black, script, the word “dedication” is spread across the right forearm of Dajonee Hale.

It’s not Hale’s only tattoo, but appropriate, considering Hale’s recent journey, on and off the court.

Once a regarded Division I prospect, “Ne Ne” Hale’s drive toward high levels of basketball was, for some time, derailed. She lost grip of that promising future. Dreams of a playing career were replaced by the uncertainty building in her life. Hale couldn’t focus on where she’d be a year, or even two years down the road, when she wasn’t sure where she was going to sleep that night.

Hale was homeless.

But after a chance meeting with a relative, things were different for Hale. She found a support group eager to rekindle the desire to reach her goals.

And with dedication, just as bold as the word scripted on her arm, Hale showed the determination to meet an ultimate goal, inking, maybe, the most important thing in her life. Late last week during the ASAA/First National Bank 3A State Basketball Championships in Anchorage, Hale signed a scholarship offer to play basketball for Central Methodist University in Missouri.

“Honestly, about a year ago, I didn’t think this day would come,” Hale said just minutes after accepting a substantial scholarship offer and committing to the NAIA Division I program. “But lately, I have been thinking this would come.”

With help from Burchell High School, Houston High School and the My House program, Hale made the transition from homeless teenager to college-bound senior. The change included a series of life-altering steps, starting with an unexpected meeting.

“My auntie, she moved out to the Valley,” Hale said. “I ran into her one day. I was only supposed to stay the night at her house.”

Hale made her way from Anchorage to the Valley, and that one night at her auntie’s home turned into a permanent situation for the 18-year-old.

“I wasn’t going to school, wasn’t doing nothing. She lives right next to Burchell. I started living with her, started going to school,” Hale said.

A home at Burchell

As she became established as a student at Burchell, Hale expressed her interest in athletics. She had success in Anchorage youth basketball leagues and as an underclassman at East Anchorage High. Hale told Todd Whitehurst, Burchell’s safety and security supervisor, that she wanted to play again.

“Todd told me to write a letter why I wanted to play,” Hale said.

Hale wrote a four-page letter. But as a fifth-year senior, the former East player didn’t have a clear run back onto the floor.

That’s when Burchell High graduation coach Michelle Overstreet began to campaign for Hale’s chance to return to the hardwood.

“If she wants to play ball, she’s going to play ball,” Overstreet said. “I just said, we’ll make the phone calls we need to make. We’ll call anybody we need to call. If she wants to play ball, she’s going to play ball.”

As the acting director of My House, a local nonprofit group ready to help provide shelter and support for Valley homeless teens, Overstreet advocated for Hale’s opportunity to play basketball. Hale was a fifth-year senior, but missed her final season at East High.

“We kind of got the community behind it, with enough people saying let her play if she wants to play,” Overstreet said.

After letters and numerous phone calls, Hale was granted the chance to play basketball.

A home at Houston

Whitehurst was one of the first people Hale approached about playing basketball. Whitehurst, a Houston High football coach, said Hale should give the Houston girls program a try.

Hale hit the court with the Hawks and provided an immediate impact. The 5-foot-7 senior guard scored 33 points during her Hawks debut, a 65-39 win over Cordova in December.

“The first time I saw her play, I thought this is not just a basketball player, this is in her,” Overstreet said of Hale.

Hale led the Hawks in every statistical category as a senior, averaging 23 points and eight rebounds per game. She shot better than 50 percent from the field and was named the Region III-3A Southcentral Conference Player of the Year.

Hale also led Houston to its first state tournament appearance in 21 years.

A new home in Missouri

Central Methodist assistant coach Greg Ray made a special trip to Alaska last week. He brought a packet of paperwork with him, which included the scholarship offer.

As a former basketball coach in Anchorage and the Valley, Ray has had Hale on his radar for years.

“The year I stopped coaching high school (basketball) at Wasilla, I started my own program in the Valley and I’d bring teams into Anchorage, and one of the leagues we’d play in was the Boys and Girls (Club) league,” Ray said. “I remember probably a fifth- or sixth-grader, with this afro, up and down the Boys and Girls Club court.”

That was Hale.

“Since she was in probably fifth or sixth grade, I’ve been watching her play,” Ray said.

By the time Hale had reached high school, Ray helped form the Alaska Lady Hoops program.

“Ne Ne was in eighth (grade) or a freshman at the time, and we decided she’d be a great fit for our program,” Ray said. “We got with Ne Ne and went out and traveled that summer. At that time you could really tell there was something special about her. We came back that summer, and she probably had letters from five or six Division I colleges waiting on her.”

Ray built a relationship with Hale became a mentor to the young player.

“I could tell something special was going on here. I tried to take care of her,” Ray said.

Ray was a recruiter for the National Guard. He had an office at the Dimond Center in Anchorage, and would pick up Hale from East High after school. Hale would sit in Ray’s office after school. Most of the time she’d work on homework. They’d also work on NCAA clearinghouse paperwork.

But after Ray was transferred back to the Valley, the two began to loose touch. Ray eventually lost track of Hale after he moved to Missouri to join the Central Methodist staff.

“Every now and again I’d try to figure out where she was through Facebook and things,” Ray said.

As Hale worked her way into Burchell High and the Houston High girls’ basketball program, Ray and Hale reconnected. Overstreet was also beginning to talk to Hale about her future.

“I could tell when I asked her if she wanted to play college ball that it had been a while since she thought about that,” Overstreet said. “When I said where would you like to go play, the first person that came to mind was Coach Ray.”

With Hale’s sights, once again, set on the potential opportunity to play college basketball, Overstreet and Ray put together a game plan.

“Coach Ray said she’s got to get straight A’s, demonstrate she can do the work,” Overstreet said.

That’s exactly what Hale did, posting straight A’s during the first two trimesters of the school year.

“She totally demonstrated that she could do that. She did the work,” Overstreet said. “She did every single thing to make this happen.”

Ray said Hale did everything she needed to do to become a candidate to play at Central Methodist. She made the grades in the classroom, and displayed a full-range of skills on the court; skills coveted by the Central Methodist coaching staff.

“In the recruiting process, we are looking for two key things — someone who can help us replace statistical areas of need and a player who has a skill set that we don’t have — and Dajonee does both,” Central Methodist head coach James Arnold said in a press release issued by the university. “We are losing our top two scorers, and her ability to score in a variety of ways will be a huge shot in the arm, but most importantly she fits a huge need for us in that she can break down her defender and make plays, has tremendous court vision and just is a really smooth athlete.”

Ray said he’s excited to have Hale, the student and the athlete, attend his school and compete for his program.

“To have Ne Ne, to have any DI prospect for a program like ours is huge, but to have Ne Ne is extra special,” Ray said. “I’ll be able to stay down there, work with her, watch her grow, help her develop into not only a better basketball player, but a better student-athlete; a person who can go into society and be productive and move forward from the past she’s had. And that means a lot to me, to be able to see her pick up and go forward in that direction.”

My House

My House is a local nonprofit geared toward providing shelter and support to the Valley’s homeless teens. Currently, the group, which is just more than a year old, has 60 to 65 teens on its constant radar. Overstreet said the group does what it cans to help the teens in need. But without a shelter, Overstreet said, the group works on the projects it can to help the kids in need.

Overstreet said the group has created major fundraising projects to help local students achieve their goals. Overstreet said the group raised $8,000 last year for a local girl to realize her goal of attending beauty school.

In addition to helping Hale work to the point to earn the scholarship to attend Central Methodist, Overstreet and My House are helping raise the remaining money to fund Hale’s education and fees at Central Methodist.

Overstreet said they are trying to raise $5,600 to cover Hale’s education costs. Overstreet said the group has also put together a list of items to outfit Hale during her freshman year at school.

Those interested in donating or learning about the group can visit myhousematsu.org. Overstreet said donations can be made through PayPal by designating the donation for Hale.

Overstreet said Hale’s effort and determination to rebound during the last year sets a great example, and could provide hope for other teens in similar situations.

“There are people who care, but you’ve got to tell us what you need. She was able to tell us what she needed,” Overstreet said. “If you have a dream, tell people what your dream is. Thank God we were able to find her, put a foundation of connections underneath her. She was willing to do the work. It’s just an example of what can happen when you help kids get to their dreams. They will do the work.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.