OT: Why sports are GREAT!
Owen Groesser is a team manager on the Van Hoosen junior high basketball team in Rochester Michigan. Owen, an eighth grader with Down syndrome, hadn't seen the court for any action all season.
That all changed Wednesday. In his team's final home game, Owen got a chance to create the memory of a lifetime. Van Hoosen's coach drew up a play late in the game, putting Groesser near the free throw line as his team inbounded the ball.Then the magic unfolded. Owen ran out past the three-point line to catch the ball, dribbled once, and hurled a shot with absolute precision. he went 2-2 from the 3 point line.
A player for the Plymouth Whalers was the first to see the story on twitter and tweeted #getownonsportscenter later RGIII tweeted the same hours later Owen was on sportscenter.
the youtube link to the shot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4tdqp2fUKk
Owen and his father on sportscenter
http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/8875653/owen-groesser-middle-schoole…
January 24th, 2013 at 5:28 PM ^
That was a pretty awesome shot, and a great story....
January 24th, 2013 at 3:17 PM ^
This is great and all, but for the love of all that is holy turn your phone so it records more than one person at a time.
January 24th, 2013 at 3:31 PM ^
Reminds be a lot of the story of Jason McElwain, also a team manager with autism, whose coach inserted him into the last four minutes of a game back in '06.
After those 240 seconds passed, McElwain had 20 points on 7/9 shooting (6/7 from 3).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_McElwain
Eerie coincidence in place names? McElwain was a student at Greece Athena HS in Rochester, NY!
January 24th, 2013 at 4:47 PM ^
"Hotter than a pistol" is still one of my favorite lines. I say it all of the time and people don't get what I am referencing.
January 24th, 2013 at 9:43 PM ^
I met him a couple of times, as he was from my rival high school.
He worked at Wegmans (a large grocery chain in the northeast; if you haven't heard of it, look it up, best grocery store ever) and would constantly walk around, miming a shot and screaming "J-MAC!"
January 25th, 2013 at 8:22 AM ^
This was a great story. I'm from the Rochester area and will never forget seeing it on the local news. Then within 24 hours it was all over national media and ESPN. Check out the new Wegmans being built on East Ave. Looks pretty freakin' nice.
January 25th, 2013 at 1:13 PM ^
Next time I make it back, I will have to check it out. It's hard for me to believe it's nicer than the one in Pittsford, though. That one is ridiculous.
January 24th, 2013 at 3:35 PM ^
Oh hey, I went there.
January 24th, 2013 at 3:36 PM ^
Rochester Community Schools are great with the handicapped kids. I know coach Hall (BBall coach and a football assistant at Adams) works great with these kids as well. Glad to see this story get the coverage it deserves.
January 24th, 2013 at 3:44 PM ^
Good for him but West is best. Go Warriors!
January 24th, 2013 at 6:43 PM ^
Glad to know there are some fellow west warriors here.
January 24th, 2013 at 4:37 PM ^
January 24th, 2013 at 7:40 PM ^
January 25th, 2013 at 1:37 PM ^
He traveled. Kidding, of course...
but seriously, he did.