Friday, March 26, 2010

American Heart: Autistic Basketball Phenom Inspires Cornell Team

While Cornell's run sadly ended last night, this is a story that many of you following the tournament may not be aware of.

If Cornell was one this year's Cinderella story at the NCAA tournament, than Jason "J-Mac" McElwain certainly was its prince.
Revisiting the game that changed a young autistic basketball player's life. J-Mac, who has autism, first captured the heart of the nation four years ago when, in the last game of his high school basketball team's season, he was given his first chance to play. In just four minutes, he scored six three-point shots and finished with 20 points. He even tied the school record.
One of J-Mac's admirers is Cornell basketball coach Steve Donahue, whose own son, Matt, has autism. Donahue reached out to J-Mac after that electrifying high school basketball game and the two have stayed in touch ever since.
"It was one of the greatest inspirational stories I had ever heard," Donahue said. "Jason was having so much fun and enjoying the experience. It made me really happy that one day my son could have kind of experience as well in his high school."

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