LIKE IN NEWTON WHERE WE FOUND A BIG GAME AND EVEN BIGGER HEARTS. ANY ATHLETE WILL TELL YOU - <LET'S GO GET OUR UNIFORMS ON.> NERVES FLUTTER ON GAME DAY. <THE CARDINAL IS ON ITS WAY.> ESPECIALLY WHEN NEW SHOES ARE READY FOR THEIR DEBUT-- <(RED SHOES, PAN UP TO MAYNARD SHAKING HEAD YES) YOU ARE SET FOR THE BIG GAME.> AND FIRST-TIME STARS SPOT THEMSELVES ON THE TEAM POSTER. <33. 33. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S YOU. BIG GAME? YEAH. TODAY.> HIGH SCHOOL GYMS GET PLENTY OF ACTION. BUT NOTHING--- áá <MUMBLING. WHAT'S OUR TEAM NAME? THE BLACK JAGUARS. OH, JAGUARS.> LIKE THIS. <ALRIGHT, GUYS. HERE WE GO.> <OH, I'M SO NERVOUS!> BECAUSE THIS-- <ALRIGHT. HERE WE GO.> IS THE - BIG - GAME. <HEY, BUDDY.> AND SAM - CAN'T - WAIT. <THIS IS MY MOMENT. MY BIG MOMENT.> THE NEWTON SENIOR HAS BEEN PRACTICING FOR WEEKS. (DRIBBLING) <WHEW, BOING. BOING BOING, GRR. GRR.> PREPARING FOR THE CROWDS NOW FILING IN. TO SEE HIM-- <I HAVE DOWN SYNDROME THAT HAS AN EXTRA CHROMOSOME.> AND ALL OF HIS CLASSMATES WHO DON'T NORMALLY GET THIS KIND OF DAY IN THE SPOTLIGHT. <YOU KNOW, SCHOOL DOESN'T COME EASY FOR THEM. LIFE DOESN'T COME EASY FOR THEM.> EXACTLY WHY MOMS IN THE STANDS ARE ALREADY EMOTIONAL - DURING WARMUPS. <IT'S EVERYTHING YOU WOULD SEE ON A TYPICAL FRIDAY NIGHT IN OUR GYM. IT'S. IT'S JUST ELECTRIC.> FUELED BY THE PEP BAND-- <PEP BAND.> NEWTON'S CHEERLEADERS-- <LET'S GET FIRED UP!> AND A PACKED STUDENT SECTION-- <STUDENT BODY SCREAM. "WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY? WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY?> SCREAMING IN UNISON. <WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY?> FOR THEIR CLASSMATES-- <GO GO GO GO> RUNNING OUT OF THE SAME INFLATABLE CARDINAL VARSITY TEAMS DO. <1, 2, 3, GO CARDS!> ONLY HERE, THE VOLUME IS LOUDER. <SHOE STOMPING.> <1, 2, 3.> FIVE SECONDS AFTER THOMAS GRABBED THE OPENING TIP, EVERYONE KNEW THE REFEREES WERE GOING TO BE LENIENT. AND NOT EVERY FAST BREAK WOULD FALL. BUT THEN? <MADE BASKET CHEERING.> SEAANA BANKED ONE IN, DRAWING HIGH FIVES, CHEERS AND FUEL FOR SAM - WHO DRIBBLED UNDER HIS LEG-- <UNDER LEG DRIBBLE AND BLEW THE ROOF OFF THE GYM. FREE THROW LENGTH SHOT SAM'S - BIG - MOMENT. STRUT.> AND BUCKETS KEPT DROPPING. <MADE 2 POINTER.> EVERYONE IN THE PACKED GYM COULD SEE THE CONFIDENCE GROW WITH EACH TRIP DOWN THE COURT. <MADE 2 POINTER.> BUT WHEN ALEX'S UNDERHANDED THREE FELL? <MADE 3 POINTER UNDERHANDED.> PURE JOY FLOWED FROM THE STUDENT SECTION'S HANDMADE SIGNS TO THE SECOND GRADERS PACKED INTO THE CORNER. AND EVERY ADULT WHO'D LEFT WORK AT NOON TO SUPPORT THESE STUDENTS. <BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING THEIR MOMENT JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER STUDENT DOES.> WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY NEWTON TEACHERS STARTED THE BIG GAME 15 YEARS AGO. A LESSON IN LOVE FOR EVERYONE. <THE CROWD IS PROBABLY JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE BASKETS THAT THE KIDS MAKE.> <TAKE IT. GO GO GO.> (CONTINUE SHOT TO :33) BY THE TIME THOMAS BROKE DOWN THE COURT, WITH THE CROWD SENSING WHAT WAS COMING NEXT -- (CHEER) CONFIDENCE WAS FLOWING. AND HIS PEER PARTNER MADE SURE THOMAS UNDERSTOOD - IT WAS ALL FOR HIM. <I TOLD YOU YOU WERE GOING TO GET ANOTHER ONE. GET A GOOD ONE? YEAH. THAT'S A GOOD ONE, THOMAS. HEY!> EVEN PLAYERS WHO RARELY SPEAK FELT IT. AFTER A TIMEOUT, CAMERON GRABBED AHOLD OF HIS CLASSMATE'S HAND, WALKED ONTO THE COURT AND JUST DRIBBLED. TO HIS MOM, THAT WAS A MASSIVE VICTORY. <TEN, 11 YEARS AGO WHEN CAMERON WAS FOUR OR FIVE, WHEN HE STARTED KINDERGARTEN, HE COULDN'T EVEN WALK PAST A GYM BECAUSE THE NOISES WERE TOO MUCH FOR HIM. AND TODAY HE WAS SMILING AT ALL THE KIDS YELLING FOR HIM AND I'M JUST SITTING IN THE STANDS, CRYING.> JUST LIKE EVERYONE WAS WHEN, LATE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER, SEANNA DRIBBLED BEYOND THE THREE POINT LINE, TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND - HOISTED IT. áá <MADE 3 POINTER, WHIP TO BIG CHEER.> <JOY NATS UNTIL MOM GRABS HER FACE.> (COVER?) <YOU CRY. THE AMOUNT OF PRIDE YOU HAVE FOR WHAT THEY JUST ACCOMPLISHED IT. YOU CAN'T DESCRIBE IT. YOU CAN'T DESCRIBE IT.> BUT PARENTS SAY EVEN BETTER? <BUZZER-AUDIO ONLY.> CLASSMATES RUSHED THE COURT. <THESE TYPICAL KIDS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL. THEY SEE THESE KIDS.> MAKING SURE HER BOY - THE ONE WHO RARELY SPEAKS - FEELS THE LOVE. <IT'S JUST AMAZING TO SEE AS A PARENT, TO SEE ALL OF THESE KIDS COME TOGETHER AND WATCH THESE KIDS THAT SOMETIMES AREN'T SEEN.> <IT'S INDESCRIBABLE. WHAT YOU FEEL AS A PARENT WHEN YOU SEE THE COMMUNITY COME AROUND THE KIDS LIKE THEY DO.> THOMAS' BREAKAWAY BUCKET WASN'T AARON RUSSELL'S HIGHLIGHT. IT WAS THE LOOK ON HIS BOY'S FACE. <HIS EYES JUST LIGHT UP, AND HE LOVES IT.> AND HOW HIS CLASSMATES WERE TRULY CELEBRATING -- HIM. <BELL. GOOD JOB. GOOD JOB. HUG.> <VICTORY BELL RINGING.> <CROWD SCREAMING "GO CARDS!