Greece Athena will retire J-Mac's jersey number Friday

The Greece Athena High School basketball program will retire Jason McElwain's No. 52 on Friday before the Trojans host Fairport at 6:45 p.m. and the timing couldn't be better.

It's Christmastime — a time of giving, hope and miracles. Like Christmas, J-Mac's story is one you can't tell enough.

Haven't heard of J-Mac? Well, pull up a chair and grab some hot chocolate.

On Feb. 15, 2006, Jason McElwain, the team's autistic manager, was added to the roster and given a uniform for the final home game of his senior year so he could sit on the bench. With any luck, coach Jim Johnson would get him into the game.

Well, J-Mac didn't just play the final four minutes of a convincing win over Spencerport. He played lights out, sinking 7 of 13 shots, including six 3-pointers — his last from NBA range — good for 20 points.

Fans stormed the court, McElwain was hoisted onto shoulders, an amateur video of the emotional scene went viral, J-Mac and Johnson became overnight celebrities, and the lives of untold numbers of people were changed for the better thanks to the inspiration provided by a timeless, feel-good story.

"That night was a complete celebration of humanity," Johnson has called it.

Friday will be a celebration of not just one magical game, but of Jason McElwain's many contributions to Athena athletics and his achievements as an adult living with a developmental disability. Funds will be raised for Rochester's AutismUp organization.

Now 25, Jason is no longer the anonymous undersized manager of the basketball team. He's 6-3, 172. He works for Wegmans and Red Fedele's restaurant, does motivational speaking engagements, coaches cross country and basketball at Athena as a program assistant, and is among Rochester's best marathon runners. He has two top-20 finishes in the Rochester Marathon, running a personal best 3:00:46 in September, and has qualified for April's 118th running of the Boston Marathon.

"Jason gave so many people with disabilities hope and he's done so much for our program, this is our way to honor him," Johnson said.

J-Mac's shooting touch that game touched a nation, earning an ESPY for best sports moment of 2006. It created opportunities to meet President George W. Bush, Magic Johnson and Peyton Manning and to appear on Oprah, Larry King and Today. His likeness was put on bobblehead dolls and trading cards.

But have your high school retire your jersey? That's the ultimate, J-Mac said.

John Wallace (No. 44), who led Athena to the 1992 state title, starred at Syracuse and went on to the NBA, is the only other Athena basketball player to have his number enshrined. The original 52 jersey McElwain wore was picked at random and has been hanging in Johnson's closet for eight years.

"It's really humbling to have my jersey up there next to John's," McElwain said. "So many great athletes have come through that school, I can't believe it."

McElwain has invited members of that 2006 team, which went on to capture the first of four Section V titles under Johnson, to come on the court with him.

"It's truly an honor, not just the No. 52 jersey going up," he said. "It's a collective honor for that team I played with and managed for my senior year. If it wasn't for my 16 brothers on that team, I wouldn't be where I am today."

According to Beth Ciardi of AutismUp, one in 50 children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, a complex neurobiological disorder characterized by social and communicative impairments and repetitive behaviors. There's a wide range of severity.

"Inclusiveness is so big for our kids," said Ciardi, who has a 7-year-old son with autism. "Jason was given a chance and look at the opportunities that opened up for him that night."

When he looks back on his basketball career, J-Mac thinks of his older brother, Josh, now a teacher in Florida, who first put a basketball in his hands in the third grade. And of course, there's Johnson. The two share a deep friendship today as fellow coaches, book authors and speakers.

"There's a reason Jim Johnson has won 365 games," McElwain said. "He's a great person and a great man. He's had a sensational career, done all the right things and he's a real asset to the community."

Johnson, a man of faith, believes he and J-Mac are just the kind of everyday folks — one with a disability, one in position to act — that God might employ to deliver a message about sportsmanship and giving all kids a chance.

"I think it's God's way of showing others that people with challenges can do a lot more than you think," Johnson said.

Visitors to Athena's gym who see John Wallace's jersey feel the power of tremendous athletic talent. When they see J-Mac's, they will feel the power of inclusion, acceptance and kindness. They will know that dreams really do come true.

Talk, book signing

Leadership speaker and New York Times best-selling author Don Yaeger will speak on the characteristics of greatness at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19 at Greece Athena High, 800 Long Pond Road. Yaeger is the parent of an autistic child. Following his 30-minute talk open to the public, Yaeger, Jason "J-Mac" McElwain (The Game of My Life) and coach Jim Johnson (A Coach and a Miracle) will do a book signing with proceeds going to AutismUp. Commemorative fund-raising coins and T-shirts recognizing J-Mac's jersey number retirement on Friday will also be on sale. Call (585) 966-2483 for tickets to Friday's ceremony and game. Go to autismup.org. Call (585) 248-9011.