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The Real Hoosiers

If your team is good, you’ll remember your teammates for life. If your team is great, you may get your school or team name on a trophy. If your team is immortal, they make a Hollywood movie about you.

Check out this rarely seen video from the game that inspired the iconic movie Hoosiers. It was recently released by the Indiana High School Athletic Association and it’s well worth 5 minutes of your time.

P.S. Try mentioning “Jimmy Chitwood” or “running the picket fence” to your buddies. We bet everyone knows that you’re talking about Hoosiers.



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The Power of a Support Team

After 16-year old Jack Jablonski was paralyzed in a high school hockey game this past December, it was no surprise to see his family and friends by his side – but his team of support has grown to a level that has certainly surprised him and his family.

In addition to the 32 NHL jerseys sent to him by various players, he’s also received a personal phone call from Wayne Gretzky and visits from NHL stars Jordan Leopold and Robb Stauber. Other signs of support have trickled in from all over the world, including a hand-written letter, American flag, and signed t-shirt from Naval Special Forces in Afghanistan.

Knowing he has all of these people watching and supporting him, Jack has every intention to prove his medical odds wrong: “My goal is to walk and skate again. I’m not sure if that will happen – I believe it will.”



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CIAA Senior Class Award

Russell Athletic is all for recognizing those who display quality characteristics that help teams succeed. One such recognition of the exceptional teammate is the CIAA Senior Class Award, sponsored by Lowe’s. This award acknowledges two senior basketball players, one female and one male, for extraordinary displays of the “4 C’s”: Classroom, Character, Community, and Competition. Click here and let them know who you think deserves this year’s honor.



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Putting Team First

Less than one month ago, Johnson C. Smith guard, Trevin Parks, reached an impressive individual milestone by joining the 1,000-career-point club in only his junior season. Despite being recognized for his impressive personal accomplishment, he did not lose sight of what was truly important, his team.

“I try to do whatever is necessary for my team to be successful and scoring has been one of those things I’ve had to do for the past two seasons. This is a great individual accomplishment, but it’s ultimately a team award. Without my teammates and God, I know none of this would be possible.”