Yesterday morning at the request of a Decatur Middle School athletics director, I met with a 6'2" well built eighth grade basketball player who shows great promise on the court but struggles academically. The youngster comports himself in a well-mannered fashion. He has never had any disciplinary issues in his school history.
After visiting with the kid for the better part of an hour it seemed reasonable to conclude the boy sufferes from some attention focus issues, poor study habits and some language comprehension ability. This opinion is based on observation and the lad's own acknowledgments.
I immediately made contact with the school district Administrators to get permission to release some Turkey Tournament monies for an 11-week tutoring program for the youngster. This is one of the reasons I have given effort to coordinating this basketball tournament the past 17-years. We'll see what shakes out but we're going to do our best to see that this kid succeeds.
Before I left the boy, I handed a copy of the book, 'Going The Distance' by Ken Norton, former world heavyweight boxing champion and graduate of Jacksonville high school Jacksonville, Illinois.
I shared with the boy a comment Norton said to me the last time I spoke with Ken before his death.
Norton said, "Mel, I tell young kids that 'Going the Distance' is an everyday thing to be a champion."
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