Dreams Really Do Come True

When Coach Jim Johnson says, "Dreams Come True," he means it. Not only did he have the faith to put autistic high school basketball player Jason McElwain into the final minutes of the last game of the season, but the miraculous 20-points then scored by Jason McElwain was one of the most inspiring moments in sports history. At the podium, Coach Jim Johnson brings this incredible story to life, shedding light on the "The Essence of Teamwork" and "The Ultimate Level of Sportsmanship."

On Feb. 13, 2006, Coach Jim Johnson made a life-changing decision to let his autistic team manager, Jason McElwain (nicknamed "J-Mac") play in the remaining 3:12 minutes of the Greece Athena High School’s last home game. His incredible performance, in which he made six three-point baskets, netted 20 points for the team, and sealed the Trojan’s victory (79-43) made Jason McElwain and Coach Jim Johnson national heroes. To make the Hollywood ending complete, Greece Athena captured the first Section 5 title of Coach Jim Johnson’s career a few weeks later.

Coach Jim Johnson was named Coach of the Year by several local organizations, and was also presented with a National Sportsmanship Award. These honors brought to light an impressive body of work compiled by Coach Jim Johnson over the past two decades. His career record is 249-175, with divisional titles in 1996, 2002, 2003 and 2006. He has had winning seasons in 12 of the last 13 years, finishing .500 the other year.

More dreams will be coming true soon for both Jason McElwain and for Coach Jim Johnson, as Columbia Pictures has optioned this touching story. Coach Jim Johnson lives in Rochester, NY, with his wife and son.