This past Saturday I had the pleasure of Coaching for Lafayette High School. We were playing Pineville High School in the first round of the playoffs. I expected this game to be like any other, with the talent and caliber of this, it was to be an absolute rout. I was in for much more. With 20 minutes left to go we were winning 8-0, and things were all well, then the most amazing thing I have ever seen happened. The opposing Coach, Grant Eloi (a Class A Gentlemen and Sportsman) put in a player named Ross Barron. Ross has Downs Syndrome. I was baffled, awe struck, this kid was so passionate in every move he made. Head Coach Jeremy Cart walked over to Grant and chatted him up about Ross' situation. It was to be Ross' last game of his career and come to find out Ross had never scored a goal, other than a PK, well Jer Bear decided to orchestrate a goal for Ross. We had both teams involved, as you will see in the video, it was well planned. Here is something most people don't know, Ross was diagnosed with a disease that caused all of his hair to fall out at the age of 3, he was always very embarrassed by it. When he reached High School, the players caught wind of Ross' inhibition with his bald head. Well one day Ross' mom drove up to pick him up from practice and saw the whole team huddled in the center circle. They were chanting and cheering and then Ross' bald head pops up and everyone was cheering and laughing, the team had made Ross' bald head a good luck token for the team. He told his mom that night that he liked being bald, he felt special. Ross is a great kid, he was so elated to have scored. This video does nothing for the excitement that was on his face. I am very glad to have been a part of such an amazing event. And much respect to Coach Grant Eloi of Pineville for giving Ross the opportunity to fulfill his dream and become the leading playoff goal scorer for the Pineville program for 2010-2011. It takes a man of strong character to have the selflessness of Grant's actions.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Ross Barron, the Talk of Lafayette
This past Saturday I had the pleasure of Coaching for Lafayette High School. We were playing Pineville High School in the first round of the playoffs. I expected this game to be like any other, with the talent and caliber of this, it was to be an absolute rout. I was in for much more. With 20 minutes left to go we were winning 8-0, and things were all well, then the most amazing thing I have ever seen happened. The opposing Coach, Grant Eloi (a Class A Gentlemen and Sportsman) put in a player named Ross Barron. Ross has Downs Syndrome. I was baffled, awe struck, this kid was so passionate in every move he made. Head Coach Jeremy Cart walked over to Grant and chatted him up about Ross' situation. It was to be Ross' last game of his career and come to find out Ross had never scored a goal, other than a PK, well Jer Bear decided to orchestrate a goal for Ross. We had both teams involved, as you will see in the video, it was well planned. Here is something most people don't know, Ross was diagnosed with a disease that caused all of his hair to fall out at the age of 3, he was always very embarrassed by it. When he reached High School, the players caught wind of Ross' inhibition with his bald head. Well one day Ross' mom drove up to pick him up from practice and saw the whole team huddled in the center circle. They were chanting and cheering and then Ross' bald head pops up and everyone was cheering and laughing, the team had made Ross' bald head a good luck token for the team. He told his mom that night that he liked being bald, he felt special. Ross is a great kid, he was so elated to have scored. This video does nothing for the excitement that was on his face. I am very glad to have been a part of such an amazing event. And much respect to Coach Grant Eloi of Pineville for giving Ross the opportunity to fulfill his dream and become the leading playoff goal scorer for the Pineville program for 2010-2011. It takes a man of strong character to have the selflessness of Grant's actions.
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