A Coach and A Miracle: Life Lessons from a Man who Believed in an Autistic Boy

On February 15, 2006, an autistic high student stunned the world when he entered a basketball game in the dying minutes and proceeded to shoot the lights out. CBS, ESPN, CNN and major news outlets around the world picked up the story, the YouTube video got millions of hits, and the world was fascinated with everything to do with Jason McElwain (J-Mac). But the story began long before he took the court that night at Greece Athena High School in Rochester, New York. This is the story of an incredible relationship between a high school student and his basketball coach. Coach Jim Johnson’s sense of compassion led him to give an autistic, learning disabled team manager a once-in-a-lifetime chance—and how that boy seized the opportunity in such a stupendous way will not be forgotten anytime soon. This is a story about an event that the coach rates as a genuine, modern-day miracle. It is an important book for sports fans and for people who need to believe that miracles can still happen. It also reinforces the value of applying passion, goal-setting, perseverance and teamwork to any of life’s endeavors.