Teen with Down Syndrome Made Promise from Coach. Video Takes Internet by Storm
Alyna Macias is, for the most part, like any other teenage kid. She attends school and she participates in sports activities.
In fact, she’s the team manager of the female basketball team at Tucson High School in Arizona.
Yet, she has always wanted to do more than just watch the game from the sidelines.
Macias had a desire to get out there and play, but she also had a disability. The teen with Down syndrome was once made a promise from her coach that she would one day let her play in a game.
That day finally came on Friday, Feb. 2 during a home game against Flowing Wells High School’s varsity team.
Now, a video of Macias playing alongside her teammates in their final match of the year has taken the internet by storm.
Originally shared by @kyaunaluna on Twitter, the clip starts off with the coach making the special announcement among all the girls inside the locker room.
Macias was instantly overcome by emotion as everyone started “awwing” in celebration of her big day.
The compilation video then showed some of the highlights of Macias’s plays. She first entered the game during the third quarter.
With the score tied at 5-5, the pressure was on. Macias missed her first two shots but made up for it on her third basket, causing the crowd to go crazy.
What started off as a game to win soon turned into something even more special. Everyone was cheering on Macias, including the opposing team.
“It was crazy and something you don’t see from a lot of schools,” her father, Edgar, told AllSportsTucson. “We couldn’t have done this without Tucson and Flowing Wells.”
Macias’ last shot helped her team win, with the final score being 9-5. Anyone could see that this basketball lover, who said she liked “to shoot hoops,” was a natural at the game.
“This girl has some mad skills! Great job sweetie,” a Facebooker said in a post of the video.
At the end of the day, it was all about sportsmanship on both teams.
They gave Macias a chance to shine and prove that anyone, regardless of their disability, can also have a passion for the game.
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