Hoovey

I want you to help me give a warm Viva Welcome

to your royal ambassador, Miss Ruth Elliott.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Sometimes I wonder if my life really didn't begin

until I had my first child.

And everything else was just training.

The same miracle plays out every day all over the world.

Not just a baby being born. It's a family.

Jeff and I were high school sweethearts,

married young because all we had was each other,

and we set out to build a life together.

We found an old farmhouse way out in the country,

tore it down to the studs, and built our dream.

Which, after all the building and fencing

and clearing and a couple of horses to run,

really came down to the one thing that

both of us had always wanted: a family.

We're big on love in the Elliott house,

but we're also a competitive lot.

Jeff was a three sport athlete, played football in college,

and I'm not crazy about losing at anything.

Jen was a born runner and jumper.

Little brother, Eric, who we nicknamed "Hoovey,"

could play most anything.

But it was pretty obvious pretty quick...

He was born to play this game.

That a boy!

Hoovey wasn't the biggest or the fastest,

or the highest jumper on the floor.

What my boy had was vision.

He could see the whole court in one look,

and as we would find out, a long way past it, too.

One thing I know for sure now,

life can change in a heartbeat.

And even with that gift of vision,

you can still get knocked down and never see it coming.

And there's not a lot of cushion on that floor.

Then, it comes down to faith.

5"'

A little nippy last night, huh girls?

Hoovey!

Don't bounce that ball in the house.

Okay.

Just one. Oh, and wear a coat, okay?

Okay.

Big day. You ready?

Am I ready? You make me laugh, Big Boy.

Big Boy? I'll tell you what, Little Pinto,

old man's gonna take your little fanny to

hoop school right here and now.

Uh-huh?

Class is in session.

Okay.

Need some more coffee, Big Boy?

Elliott breezes through the much older,

but not necessarily wiser, Notre Dame back court.

And the crowd goes crazy.

Oh, hey, Sleeping Beauty.

Is it a full marathon today or just a half?

It isn't really 24 outside?

It's a dry 24.

I want to live in Hawaii.

Oh, you do, do ya?

Whoa, Mom,

what's up with the whole can of frosting?

Who cares? Bikini season is over.

After learning what I can from my wise,

but limited, old man,

I lead our high school to the state finals.

After we win, I sign with Indiana

and I take us to the Final Four in my first year.

That's my plan.

You know how to make God laugh, right?

Tell Him your plans.

I know one thing. If that plan has a chance,

you better learn to go left.

What are you talking about?

You go right every single time.

I'm stronger going right.

Our offense rotates that way.

It's not going to work forever champ.

They're going to figure it out.

If you can take it strong either way,

you're going to own the court.

But you're never going to own your old man.

Give it up.

Mom, I'm not sure I want to run anymore.

Oh, honey, it's just a cold morning.

It's not that.

It's just not fun anymore.

My heart's not in it.

It hasn't been for a while.

But you're winning,

and girl you're on track to break records.

I tried out for the fall play... and I got a callback.

Really?

Yeah.

Well, why can't you do both?

Rehearsals are in the afternoon.

It's the same time as track.

Okay, I'll let you have this.

You got it.

I'll let you have it.

Ban-l.

Take it back.

Here we go.

Whoa. Ah!

Hey buddy... whoa whoa...you alright there?

Yeah. This keeps happening.

It's my eyes again.

They just blur on me.

Alright, that's it. We're getting you checked out today.

I'll be fine.

Stop fighting me on this.

Look, you wouldn't be the first player to wear glasses, slick.

Oh, I smell bacon!

Better be four pounds of it!

Everything okay?

Glass.

Yeah, it's fine.

I'll see you guys later.

No, no, no, no. Jen, wait.

Let's talk about this.

Jeff, Jen has had it with running.

Oh.

Okay.

Okay?

When the season's over, you're done.

I meant now.

Well, you got a team that's counting on you, so...

We don't quit in this family, do we?

Fine.

I will run the season out and then maybe after

I'm just gonna run away from home.

That's a lot of running for someone

who doesn't want to run anymore.

0h, very funny.

Just hysterical.

I thought it was funny.

Eat your bacon, Elliott.

a... M... E...

Okay.

Looks like you have a slight astigmatism

in the right eye, so we're gonna pick out some frames.

You mean glasses?

Can't I wear contacts?

Sure. Eventually.

But don't you want to

have perfect vision today?

I look like Poindexter, don't I?

Nah. Kurt Rambis.

Who is Kurt Rambis?

Who is Kurt Rambis?!

Mid-eighties. Showtime. Three-peat Lakers?

I wasn't alive in the mid-eighties, Dad.

Nobody bang on the paint like Rambo.

You look just like him.

Really?

No, bad example.

He looked kind of creepy, like a serial killer.

I want you to have something.

It was your grandfather's.

Oh, you think it'll help?

You'll never miss another three.

It's to remind you of what's really important.

Thanks, Dad.

Sure thing, Poindexter.

Whoa! Check the rims.

Hey, call me four-eyes, we fight.

You hear about the new kid coming out?

Big man!

He's a point guard just like you,

but he's supposed to be like, all world!

Check it... Hope those glasses help.

5"'

Good afternoon gentlemen.

My name is Ed Wilson.

You may call me Coach Wilson. You may call me Coach W.

You will not however address me as Ed.

And under no circumstances will anybody ever call me Mr. Ed.

A team is defined as a group comprised of individuals

united in the pursuit of a singular goal.

And this definition is best summarized

in a two letter pronoun.

And that word serves as the foundation

and the code of this team.

The word is "we"!

Five men represent fifteen and their coach

every second of every game.

Fifteen represent a school of a thousand.

That thousand represent a thousand families,

their town, their nation.

"We"!

I've got fifteen uniforms.

Every one of them's available.

Let's see who wants them.

Alright... let's go. Baseline!

Hit it, hit it!

Hit it... let's go... let's go.