NOC hosts Stickball demonstration on Facebook Live

Northern Oklahoma College and Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTI) is hosting a Stickball-Choctaw Style Event on Facebook Live on Friday, Nov. 13.

The event is set for 10:30 a.m. at the following Facebook Live Link, http://fb.me/e/4SSPNF9Mi .

NOC’s Native American History class in Tonkawa will assist Jake Roberts in demonstrating the Choctaw style of Stickball.  Roberts will explain the historical significance of Stickball for the Choctaw Nation.

Participants will wear face masks and take precautions.

According to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Cultural Services, Choctaw stickball has been described as the father of all field sports.  With its use of a soft ball, rackets, referees, goal posts, and a jump ball to start the game, this ancient sport has parallels with a number of more recently developed games including lacrosse.

NASNTI Grant Project Director Anna Roland is excited to bring this opportunity to campus despite the challenges of the pandemic this year.

“We are honored to have Mr. Roberts on campus and grateful to Mrs. Pennington for bringing her class to assist,” Roland says, “and although spectators cannot join in person, we are very pleased that we can use technology in order to highlight the Choctaw culture in a fun way that can be broadcast via Facebook.”

NASNTI is a federally funded grant through the Department of Education.

Northern Oklahoma College, the state’s first public community college, is a multi-campus, land-grant institution that provides high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities and services which create life-changing experiences and develop students as effective learners and leaders within their communities in a connected, ever changing world.

NOC, a public two-year community college, serves 5,700 students on the home campus in Tonkawa, branch in Enid, NOC/OSU Gateway Program in Stillwater, online, and the University Center in Ponca City. Of these students about 60% receive financial aid and/or scholarships.  Over 80% of NOC students complete their degree with zero debt.

NOC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers associate degrees in three general areas: Arts, Science and Applied Science.  The associate degree fulfills lower-division course work which is applicable towards a bachelor’s degree.

Call (580) 628-6200 for more information about Northern Oklahoma College or visit www.noc.edu .

PHOTO BELOW: A Northern Oklahoma College Stickball demonstration will be presented on Facebook Live Friday, Nov. 13 at 10:30 a.m. The demonstration is sponsored by NASNTI and NOC. This 2019 photo was taken during the demonstration at NOC last November. (photo by John Pickard/Northern Oklahoma College)