The holiday spirit of giving is alive and well in Norman, Oklahoma, thanks to Sooners center Raegan Beers. The talented hooper surprised her teammates with a heartfelt gift – cozy handmade blankets she painstakingly crafted for each of them over the summer months.
Beers, who transferred to OU from Oregon State, arrived on campus with a well-known passion for arts and crafts off the court, especially pottery. But without access to a pottery wheel during summer workouts, the creative center needed a new outlet to express her artistic side. That’s when inspiration struck.
“I was like, ‘I guess I’ll find something else that’s crafty,’ and so I saw a video about the blanket. I’m like, ‘Oh, I’ll try that,’ and so I tried it, and it was really bad at first, but you know the first one is always just the warmup.”
– Raegan Beers
Undeterred by the learning curve, Beers threw herself into the project, honing her skills with each stitch. The generous gesture was her way of thanking her new teammates for welcoming her with open arms during a time of transition.
“Adjusting to a new system, a new different kind of culture is just different, and so they knew it was hard,” Beers explained. “It was kind of a way for me to give them a Christmas gift, but also give them something back because I loved being around them and loved that they welcomed me with open arms.”
A Labor of Love
Crafting 13 unique blankets was no simple feat. The first two alone took Beers four hours apiece as she found her groove. But once she established a workflow, the 6’6″ center managed to whittle the time down to under two hours per blanket.
Beers even personalized each one in her teammates’ favorite colors with an assist from her roommates, Skylar Vann and Payton Verhulst. The dynamic duo helped sleuth out the color preferences after stumbling upon Beers’ not-so-secret stash and becoming her co-conspirators in the cozy plot.
Warming Hearts and Hopes
The heartwarming surprise brought tears and cheers when Beers unveiled her handiwork to her Sooner sisters. For the flourishing artist-athlete, it’s just the beginning of her crafty contributions to team bonding.
“I hope to continue that, and will continue that, because in basketball, you have to have an outlet. I preach about that and in your sport it’s really important to have something you love outside of basketball. Crafting, blanket-making, pottery is my second love right next to basketball.”
– Raegan Beers
Beers is clearly threading her passions together with care, spreading warmth on and off the court. Her 28-point outburst in OU’s 111-65 trouncing of Omaha, one shy of another double-double, proves her dedication to honing her considerable basketball talents as well.
As conference play picks up steam, Beers’ handcrafted holiday gifts are sure to bring the Sooners comfort and camaraderie through the winter months. And if her powers on the pottery wheel parallel her interior presence, the best of Beers’ artistry may be yet to come.
