Autism and Authenticity: Jason McElwain

I'm in a bit of a current events mood lately, and this article and video clip (from CBSNews.com) tells of Jason McElwain, an autistic high school senior from Greek Athena High School in Rochester NY, and his Triumphant Day. It has everything I look for in this blog--emotion, inspiration, authenticity ... and Triumph, of course.

Some of my favorite movies of all time revolve around inspiring sports stories like Rudy, Glory Road, Hoosiers, etc. I have plenty of favorites but these are probably the Top Three. (If you haven't seen them, I highly recommend it).

We all love feel-good movies, well most of us do, and they don't get much better than this one about J Mac, as they call him. Stories like his tell of just not giving in to incredible odds. They're "David and Goliath" tales, in almost every instance, where success comes hard fought and only after great sacrifice, effort and sometimes loss. They are stories about individuals who pay the price asked of them, and more, who Triumph in the process, and who leave amazing legacies behind.

Here's the article that goes with the CBSNews.com news report about Jason. I'll let it speak for itself, along with the video linked below. You will easily see why I felt they should be included as today's inspirational post. I love these kind of stories, and this one is a good one. Enjoy. 

JP Triumph 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r93vABC1M7A&feature=related

(CBSNews.com)  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.