Sport,
when played with an open heart, graciousness and a sense of proportion, is often
the vehicle that, more than any other, brings the absolute best out of us as
people, forcing us not only to find the hidden corners of our talent but also
the finest aspects of our humanity.
Sport,
at whatever level it’s played, is a living, breathing, highly-personal drama in
which we invest some of our most profound emotions; through sport, we get to
experience the ecstasy of victory, the character-building pain of defeat, or
just the simple glow that comes from witnessing and sharing others’ moments in
the spotlight. Of course, it’s even better when such sporting brilliance comes
from the most unlikely of sources, or in the unlikeliest of circumstances...
Jason
McElwain’s story is well-known. It is also timeless. Without wishing to give
any spoilers for those who haven’t yet seen it, while at high school Jason, diagnosed as autistic, would
dutifully turn up to assist in the running of the basketball team, happy just
to help others, to give them encouragement. All the while, however, he was
slowly accumulating know-how, fine-tuning his feel for the game. And then one
day ... one day ... well, why not get yourself a box of Kleenex and watch the
clip (again).
What
I love about this story is the fact that the crowd respond to him before he gets on the court, before he gets “as hot as a pistol”. In
other words, their love for Jason was not contingent upon him being a
‘success’. He already was a success because of the selfless devotion he showed
to his team, the energy he gave them, the enthusiasm dripping from his every
action.
The
joy of the crowd – the utter delirium that sweeps through them – is something
that sport gives us more than anything else in life. And if life is not about
joy, then what else is it about?
But
more than that, the hero in this clip – the hero within – is that part of all
of us that shares in the glory – the always fleeting glory – of others.
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