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Local Sportsmanship Award

02/21/2009

Presented by: The Dr. Casey Show

Teen Athlete Refuses to See Limitations Featured on:
CBS News & The Dr. Casey Show

Congratulations to the First Recipient of The Dr. Casey Sportsmanship Award: El Toro HS Basketball Senior, Jimmy Albright!

Jimmy Albright is extraordinary. What makes him so humble is that he does not fully appreciate why the rest of us are so impressed.

I had the distinct pleasure of having Jimmy and his Coach, Todd Dixon in the studio today. It was an opportunity to congratulate them both on a strong season, El Toro HS won their League and made it to the second bracket for CIF. I was able to honor Jimmy with my first Sportsmanship Award, courtesy of Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. of Mission Viejo & Orange for his Commitment to Excellence on and off the court, Community by sharing his story, and the Game for inspiring his teammates and pushing them to reach their full potential.

What makes Jimmy's story remarkable is that because of congenital anomaly, Jimmy's eyes developed without an iris. The condition is Aniridia and is extremely rare. Legally, Jimmy is blind. He does not wear corrective lenses when he plays. As the starting center for his varsity team, Jimmy is just one of the guys who happens to have limited sight, but no one on the team seems to notice or care. That includes Coach Dixon.

I was hoping to get a sense of how the team adapted to allow Jimmy's skills to develop this last year. Coach D simply adjusted the formations to minimize longer passes that are difficult for Jimmy to track. No fancy practices or drills.

I intended on highlighting the qualities that allow Jimmy to rise above this adversity. Jimmy just doesn't understand himself in this way. Normalcy is the only word that describes how he has come to adjust without dwelling on or recognizing the extra challenges the 20/20's of the world think about when we try to imagine playing Basketball with blurry vision.

At the end of the interview, I felt a strong desire to applaud Jimmy's parents for allowing their son the benefit of a typical adolescence even if his eyesight is rare. I wanted to stand up and cheer for Coach Dixon who didn't make Jimmy's standing on his team something to fuss about. I wished Jimmy luck as he heads off to the University of Oregon to become an Economics Major, but I truly doubt he needs it! I'm sure he'll approach college with the same casual confidence I saw in the studio.

If you know an athlete or coach who also exemplifies Commitment to Excellence, Community & the Game, let me know. They just might have their story featured on the show and get to celebrate at Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co! Email me at drcasey@drcaseycooper.com