Mike

For Mike, a high school kid from Wilmington, North Carolina, sports were everything. His days were filled with afternoons on the baseball diamond and mornings at football practice. He loved sports of all kind. But basketball - that was his passion.

He would play endless games of one-on-one basketball with his brother Larry. Mike wanted to be the best. He dreamed of bright lights, clutch shots, and screaming fans. For Mike, he wasn't just scrimaging his older brother in the driveway, but he was in an arena filled with screaming fans, dribbling past the other team's last guard with three seconds left and the game on the line. Someday, he'd say.

Then, during his sophomore year, things changed for Mike. Instead of becoming that star that he dreamed of, he was cut from the varsity basketball team. Though at first he was overwhelmed by the disappointment, Mike knew that he could not quit here. He was not ready to give up basketball or his dream.

Day after day, Mike practiced. He practice for hours at a time. He took thousands of shots, ran never-ending laps, and performed drills until he collasped. "Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop," he said, "I'd close my eyes and see that list in the lockeroom without my name on it. That usually got me going again."

The next year, Mike not only made the varsity basketball team, but he led the team to a state championship. His determination shows everyone what can be accomplished through persistance, patience, and resolve.

And what did Mike do after that state championship?

Let's just say it wasn't his last.