It was the first day of school, and students were hurrying into class. Scott ran into my sixth grade math class with sweat dripping from his forehead and his new clothes already dirty. He had been playing soccer on the playground with a bunch of friends. This was typical of Scott. He was a great athlete and a very smart kid. Thoughts travelled through his mind at a million miles per hour.

My challenge was to teach Scott pre-algebra. I needed to somehow lasso his thinking, slow him down, and get him to think in a more linear way. At first, I just taught the lessons and hoped for the best. He didn't get it.

Then I tried giving him extra help after class and before school. Unfortunately, that just made him bitter, because it meant that he had to miss playing soccer on the playground with his friends before and after school. During these sessions, he was impatient, easily frustrated, and not open to instruction. He clearly wanted to be on the field, not learning math with me.

By now, it was late November and Scott was becoming my personal challenge. How could I break through and unleash the potential within this incredible kid?

One day at the end of November, Scott mentioned to me that he had a soccer game after school. I decided to show my support and go to the game. I stood on the sideline next to his team, cheering him on. After he scored a goal, as he ran by I jumped out and gave him a high five. He looked surprised to see me there and a little embarrassed at first. But then he smiled proudly. It was great for me to see him outside of the classroom, doing something he was good at and passionate about.

After that game, our relationship improved in the classroom. He seemed more open to my suggestions and teaching. He actually started to come to me for advice on other aspects of his life. He understood now that I was invested in his success, both inside and outside the classroom.

As the year progressed, I became a trusted advisor to Scott. In the spring, in addition to teaching math, I coached the track team. With only a brief invitation from me, Scott joined the team. He was such a natural athlete that he was fast enough to run with the older boys.

Scott ended up making a B in math that year. Two years later, I taught Scott again in my eighth-grade math class. By this time, Scott was almost six feet tall and developing into a real scholar-athlete. At the end of the year, I was sad to see him go.

However, that was not the last time I would see Scott. Four years later, although I had moved 300 miles away, Scott called me. He invited me to attend his high school graduation. I felt so honored! At this graduation ceremony, I sat in the front row. My grin was so big I could have eaten a banana sideways! I thought, "Wow! The kid grew up to be a man."

At the graduation party, I had a chance to chat with Scott's parents. They were filled with pride and expressed deep appreciation for my contribution to the shaping of their son. I told them I didn't deserve the accolades - I just did what a teacher should do.

Before I left the graduation party, Scott told me that the discipline and perseverance he learned from sports had helped him achieve his goal of attending Duke University. I was so proud of this once disorganized sixth-grader, now preparing to take his next steps in life.