March 3, 2006

Upon Further Review...
A truly special moment for a truly special athlete

By RANDY PETIT
rtp001@marietta.edu

Many people take the ability to play sports for granted. To be able to run, shoot, swing, jump, throw, or pass are things done without a second thought. Being able to dribble down the court, hit a shot, and hear the roar of the crowd is what everyone plays for; to have that moment when everything clicks and to be a hero.

With all the drama and politics that surround professional sports today, it’s a relief to see that there are still some people out there who play the game for one reason. That reason is for the pure love of the game. Not for the millions of dollars in endorsement and advertising deals, not for the fame, and not for ability to look down on fans because you think you’re a better person.

I recently watched an episode of ESPN’s SportsCenter, and one of the topics was extra special. This story was about a high school basketball game, but this wasn’t just any old high school basketball game, it was the tale of a true hero.

Jason McElwain was born with two things, autism and the love of basketball. A senior at Greece Athena High School in Rochester, New York, McElwain spent his entire career as the manger for his basketball team. His entire career, except for one game. He was added to the roster by his coach Jim Johnson for the last game of the regular season, Senior Night. Being added to the roster meant that McElwain would get to wear a jersey and sit on the bench as if he was a true player.

When news that McElwain would be suiting up for this game, students made signs with his picture on them and had them ready in case the moment of him entering the game would come. Johnson hoped that McElwain would get to see the floor but he never made any promises. Well, McElwain got his chance with Greece Athena leading by twenty points with only four minutes remaining in the game.

As McElwain got the nod to enter the game, he almost ran onto the court with out checking into the game. The capacity crowd stood up and, with an ear shattering roar, they welcomed McElwain to the floor. When the action started with him on the court, his teammates got him the ball and he took a twenty-foot jump shot from the corner, and even though the shot fell short, his teammates persisted and found him again on the next trip down the floor.

“My first shot was an air ball, by a lot, then I missed a lay-up,” McElwain recalls. Determination and resolve paid off for him as he connected on his next shot, a three-pointer. Just as the crowd exploded with jubilation for his entrance into the game they jumped, cheered and screamed in excitement for his first career points. McElwain didn’t stop with that single basket; as he went on to make six more.

“As the first shot went in, and then the second shot, as soon as that went in, I just started to catch fire. I was hot as a pistol,” McElwains stated.

McElwain made six three pointers and another shot to end up with twenty points. Ironically, he was the leading scorer of the game.

“I’ve had a lot of thrills in coaching,” Johnson says. “I’ve coached a lot of wonderful kids. But I’ve never experienced such a thrill.”

After McElwain’s final shot went in, as time expired in the game, the elated crowd stormed the court and his teammates picked him up carried him on their shoulders. “I felt like a celebrity!” McElwain said.

His biggest fan, his mother Debbie, said about her son, “this is the first moment Jason has ever succeeded (and could be) proud of himself, I look at autism as the Berlin Wall, and he cracked it.”

As the video of the game was shown on ESPN, and posted all over the Internet, many have come to see this heart-warming story. McElwain has become a hero to all, especially to children with disabilities, dreaming of their moments in the sun. McElwain’s next goal, to graduate.

I found this story both touching, and relieving. It helped me to realize that there still are people out there who don’t abuse the games they play. It’s nice to see that people still care about the the dignity and quality sports.

Even more important than that, it shows that all people, no matter what types of handicaps that they endure, can succeed in achieving the goals and having their dreams come true. I think we can all learn a lot from Jason. Although we might not have to deal with a physical or mental handicap, which we should be thankful for, we all have things that stand in our way. Jason has told the world to overcome those obstacles. Jason, is a hero.

Quotes courtesy of CNN.com