Have you ever wondered if you made a difference in someone’s life? Think about it. Was there ever a defining moment when you looked into someone’s eyes, and knew that you made a lasting impression? At Coronado High School in El Paso, Texas, there is one man who will never forget the respect he has been shown. His life is forever changed because one person went out of his way to give him the respect he deserved. His name is Mitchell Marcus, and this is his story.
Mitchell is the team manager on the Coronado Thunderbirds high school basketball team. He has a developmental disability, but far surpasses all his teammates in love for the game. In the final game of the regular season, coach Peter Morales decided to play his favorite player on this team, no matter the score. He was willing to risk the final game of the season so that Mitchell could have his moment. So with a minute and a half left, and up by only ten points, coach Morales put his favorite manager into the game. The fans chanted his name, Mitchell got the ball under the basket, but the fairytale ending just wouldn’t come. Every time Mitchell was passed the ball, he either missed the shot, or like on their last possession, booted the ball out of bounds with seconds left on the clock. Mitchell’s clock had struck midnight, but one man thought otherwise.
His teammates didn’t end up giving Mitchell the assist that day. Of all people to make that pass, it was Jonathan Montanez, a senior; of the opposing team, who gave Mitchell his last shot. Montanez called Mitchell out by name, and with the clock winding down, passed it right to him under the basket. Montanez thought that Mitchell “deserved his chance”, and right after he passed it, Mitchell finally made that shot (Sieczkowski). His shot. The crowd went wild, the fans stormed the court, and Mitchell, the team manager for Coronado High School, left the court that day on the shoulders of his classmates, the hero of the game.
It wasn’t the game winning shot that Mitchell hit that day. When the final buzzer sounded, Coronado had won the game by fifteen. But the outcome of the game had been forever changed, because of the respect and sportsmanship that was shown. The true measure of respect is not doing something because you have to, but because you know it’s the right thing to do, even if you may suffer for it. Franklin High could have rallied back at the end of the game, but Coach Morales put their manager in anyways. Jonathan could have passed it to his teammate, but turned the ball over instead. Respect for the game is always admired, but respect for your fellow man is the only way both teams win. Never underestimate the difference that you can make in someone’s life, and don’t forget to smile, because you never know who’s watching.
