STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Practice was in session Friday at Mississippi State University’s Humphrey Coliseum as a group of local people with disabilities worked on their basketball shots.

The participants were guests of the MSU Athletics Department and MSU Extension’s REACH program, which stands for Resources of Extension Accessing Communities for Hope. Jim McAdory, MSU Extension agent in Winston County, organized the event.

“We want you to be a part of the Bulldog family,” McAdory told the guests.

The tour started at the coliseum with a chance to take photos and time on the basketball court.

“The court seems much bigger when you’re down here,” said Jay Logan, MSU senior associate athletic director for event management.

The guests walked out of the coliseum and directly into the visitors’ dugout at Dudy Noble Field in Polk-DeMent Stadium. Visitors were able to stand on the artificial turf around the baseball field and then walked the concourse to the front entrance to see the statue of former head coach Ron Polk.

“This is our longest serving head coach. We named the stadium after him,” Logan told the guests. “He took teams to championships almost every year. He’s still involved in baseball and helps out with the team radio broadcasts.”

Next was the Templeton Athletic Academic Center where guests saw mannequins wearing uniforms of all of MSU’s team sports, then the Chapel of Memories and the drill field at the center of campus.

“I had a good time,” said Joseph Coleman, a Starkville resident.

Hope Batts, recreation director at Louisville Group Home, said the residents she is responsible for don’t get many outings like they had at MSU.

“Many of my people dream of coming to Mississippi State as a student, and this opportunity is so good for them,” Batts said.

McAdory said this is the third REACH event held to date; other events included visiting the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge and the MSU Horse Park. Future plans are to visit an airport and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

“This program taps into underrepresented groups for Extension,” McAdory said. “REACH helps ensure Mississippians with disabilities are served and have access to the resources Extension has to offer for education and life enrichment.”

Extension’s involvement helps staff at group homes meet a need for outside activities.

“In Extension, our job is to meet people and make connections, and our network system is a benefit to them to make events like this happen,” he said.

While REACH is still technically a pilot program, McAdory wants to see it spread to other areas, as there are people with disabilities in every county. He will present information about it in April at the Association of Southern Rural Extension Directors meeting in Starkville.

“This is a two-pronged approach for Extension,” McAdory said. “It is life enrichment for the residents, and it is helping the staff do what they do.”

Cassandra Hawkins, recreation director at Rolling Hills Developmental Center in Starkville, said the adult residents in her care enjoyed the day.

“This is a chance to get them out of the building, have fun and see new things,” Hawkins said.