How does a poor, African-American teen do better for himself and his family? How does he find a way out of the poverty? He plays ball. Tyrell was a smart, caring, sixteen year old boy who had an unbelievable amount of ambition. Most kids at sixteen want to go home and go to sleep after school, but Tyrell was different. He spent every day he could out on the courts. In rain or shine, no matter how cold, no matter how snowy, he was out there. He had a dream; his dream was to go to the NBA. He wanted to be successful, not just rich and famous. He wanted to be a role model for the other kids on his block. He wanted to show his little brothers that there is a way out of this trap, and if you put your heart and soul into what you do, you can get out of bad places. He lived in a two bedroom apartment with is mother and his five younger brothers. He slept on the couch in the living room with his five year old twin brothers on a blow up mattress on the floor. His mom stayed in the first bedroom with the youngest, and the other two shared the second bedroom. Tyrell was the oldest and was the man of the house. His dad was not in the picture anymore. When Tyrell was 8, his dad was convicted of drug possession and intent to sell. His dad was the king of the block, he was a thug, and the main drug dealer in the area. Everyone knew his dad, and when the cops came looking for him, everyone freaked out and told the police where he lived. Some friends huh? Since Tyrell’s dad was locked up, a new guy moved in, and the streets were no longer safe. The new guy brought violence, and everyone lived in fear now. Tyrell spent most of his time either on the courts or in school. He was all about education because he knew that the only way to get a college scholarship for basketball was to get good grades. He got all As and Bs and was one of the top students in his class. He’d been on varsity since his freshman year and had been playing ball since he was 7 years old, so basketball pretty much took over his life. He never had girlfriends because hes dating the game. He couldn’t have the stress of a girl in his life, because he needed to focus. Thursday was their first game, and he couldn’t wait. He had waited all summer for this season to come, and it was one of the only things he had to be happy about. It was Sunday, a church day and cleaning day. His family always went to church because that was the only place they felt like home. God was a huge influence on Tyrell’s life, and he never missed church. He has attended since his dad was taken away. They used to pray that all the kids in the neighborhood would be safe and healthy, but now they just prayed that everybody would wake up in the morning.
Days flew by and all of the suddenly Thursday arrived. Thursday meant game day. Today was the day he would show the college recruiters all he had. It was time to put everything he had on the court, blood sweat and tears. Everything meant everything. He woke up, got all dressed up in his church clothes, and went to school. He barely got through the school day, anxious for that 3:30 bell to ring so he could get on the bus. He waited for this game his entire life. It was finally here. His senior year, on varsity basketball, with 5 college recruits coming to watch him. They were coming only to see him play. They decided his future. If he did not get this scholarship who knows what he would do? He needed this more than anyone. He needed it for his family, for himself, so that for once in his life he could believe in himself. It was 6:55. His nerves were going crazy; he was anxious to get on that court. The clock struck 7. It was now or never. He ran out on that court, leading his team in warm ups. 10 minutes passed, and it was officially game time. The ball was thrown into the air, and both centers jumped. He brought the ball on his team’s side and the game began.
Fast forward a couple quarters, and it is now or never. The score is 52-52, with only 30 seconds left. Tyrell has the ball. He pushes past the other team, going in for the layup, and the whistles blow. The referees call a foul. There are only ten seconds left. He gets one shot, one shot to win the game. The gym is quiet, and all eyes are on him. This shot will decide his future. If he makes it, he’s college bound. If he doesn’t, who knows what his future will hold? He prepares for the shot, releases the ball, the ball is flying through the air in what seems like slow motion. The ball hits the rim, and the crowd stands up in amazement. The ball bounces off the rim and straight into the basket. The crowd goes insane. Tyrell looks up at his mom in the stands with a smile on his face, and nods to her. He will give her a better life. This is the beginning of a dream come true.