Great story

[Saw31]

Incredible!!...

Link to story and video...


Autistic Teen's Hoop Dreams Come True


ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 23, 2006
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Jascon McElwain, who's autistic, lets a shot go, on the way to 20 points in four minutes. (WROC/Rochester)

Quote

"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."

<HR>

Jason McElwain's mother, Debbie McElwain​

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(CBS) It was the stuff of Hollywood, but it was real.

Senior Jason McElwain had been the manager of the varsity basketball team of Greece Athena High School in Rochester, N.Y.

McElwain, who's autistic, was added to the roster by coach Jim Johnson so he could be given a jersey and get to sit on the bench in the team's last game of the year.

Johnson hoped the situation would even enable him to get McElwain onto the floor a little playing time.

He got the chance, with Greece Athena up by double-digits with four minutes go to.

And, in his first action of the year, McElwain missed his first two shots, but then sank six three-pointers and another shot (video), for a total of 20 points in three minutes.

"My first shot was an air ball (missing the hoop), by a lot, then I missed a lay-up," McElwain recalls. "As the first shot went in, and then the second shot, as soon as that went in, I just started to catch fire."

"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."

The crowd went wild, and his teammates carried the excited McElwain off the court.

"I felt like a celebrity!" he beamed.

McElwain's mother sees it as a milestone for her son.

"This is the first moment Jason has ever succeeded (and could be) proud of himself," reflects Debbie McElwain. "I look at autism as the Berlin Wall, and he cracked it."

His teammates couldn't be happier.

"He's a cool kid," says guard Levar Goff. "You just get to know him, get used to being around him. A couple of weeks ago, he missed practice because he was sick. You feel different when he's not around. He brings humor and life to the team."

Jason's next goal: to graduate.

©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

[FCollinsBuckeye]

They showed a video clip of this on the news here a few nights ago. Great story, indeed!

 

[LoKyBuckeye]

I saw the kid and his coach interviewed on CNN last night... you've got to love the crowds reaction after he hit all those shots.

 

[DEBuckeye]

Cool. Good for him. It's nice to hear about coaches and kids on the team who care enough to give guys like this a chance to do something special.

 

[exhawg]

That story is actually several years old. Jason has since changed his name and enrolled at Duke.

 

[Tlangs]

I bet the coach is kicking himself for not playing the kid all year. They could have been undefeated. He was on pace to average 180 points a game.


was the other team leaving him wide open to just let him score??

 

[BuckBackHome]

"I was as hot as a pistol!"

Great story and is a nice reminder of how wonderful sports can be for everyone!

 

[Golferdow01]

was the other team leaving him wide open to just let him score??

Looks to me like they were, but I wouldn't have wanted to guard him...I mean be labelled as the jerk guarding the autistic kid?

 

[Saw31]

Looks to me like they were, but I wouldn't have wanted to guard him...I mean be labelled as the jerk guarding the autistic kid?

Yeah, it's hard to tell in the video. The first shot had a hand in his face...But guard me or not, I'm not scoring 20 points in 4 minutes...:p

 

[coastalbuck]

I saw it last night. It is a neat story. For the kid to experience success like that is priceless. I'm positive it will lead to more successes in the future for him.

 

[tibor75]

Looks to me like they were, but I wouldn't have wanted to guard him...I mean be labelled as the jerk guarding the autistic kid?

I hope they were guarding him, because otherwise, this story is just pathetic.

 

[Thump]

I hope they were guarding him, because otherwise, this story is just pathetic.

I just saw the video of it here at school on Channel 1 and they were indeed guarding him.

 

[Golferdow01]

I hope they were guarding him, because otherwise, this story is just pathetic.

Please explain to me how that's pathetic? I see no shame in letting the autistic kid take wide open shots.

 

[tibor75]

Please explain to me how that's pathetic? I see no shame in letting the autistic kid take wide open shots.

Then what lesson he has learned? "If people feel sorry for you, you can accomplish anything." Yeah, that's great.

 

[Jagdaddy]

Then what lesson he has learned? "If people feel sorry for you, you can accomplish anything." Yeah, that's great.

Hell, the dude was 6-8 from beyond the arc and 7-9 overall, which is better than our Big Ten contending Buckeyes shoot from the free throw line. Even if they hadn't guarded him, his performance would not have been pathetic.