As young athletes, we chase the boy’s dream for as long as we can. It’s reasonable to make the assumption that regardless of sport, the sacrifice young athletes make in the name of their craft manifests itself into hopes and dreams of walking out of the locker room to hordes of screaming fans, signing that first check, or representing your town by holding championship trophies high. For most though, these dreams never transfer to reality. Just as often as injuries derail promising careers mental anguish and exhaustion bring some of the strongest athletes to their knees. The world of sports while glamorous is a humbling one. The sad reality is that even though the boy’s dream inspires children all across the world to achieve greatness, not everyone makes it. After all, the allure of sports is that there can be only one champion. The question for all of those competitors still fighting for that dream is simple, how bad do you want it? If you don’t want it more than the man on your left, the man on your right, and more importantly the man in front of you, they will take it from you.

This reality became increasingly evident for Mike Boyd throughout the duration of his college basketball career. Coming into college Mike was no newbie to the Athletic Trainer’s office. Even prior to his college experiences, Mike fought an uphill battle to earn the credit he felt he rightfully deserved after falling victim to several serious injuries while participating in High School hoops. These injuries consisted of a broken ankle and a knee scope surgery during his sophomore year and an unfortunate second knee scope surgery during his junior year. In spite of the minutes Mike spent riding the bench due to injury; Mr. Boyd still managed to secure several college offers and the opportunity to continue the boy's dream by playing at the next level. When healthy, Mike showcased standout performances on an underperforming Lake Zurich high school team and received an honorable mention All-Conference award. The perseverance and elasticity Mike displayed in these games landed him a spot on North central college in Naperville’s roster as a key Point Guard recruit. It soon became difficult for many of those around Mr. Boyd to even imagine a reality where he wouldn’t continue his on-court dominance serving up dimes as a floor general, dribbling through defenses s as a true shot creating artist, and flexing what in is his words can be described as “The lost art of the mid-range jumper”. Mike lived that dream for a while, eventually working his way into the starting rotation on a sweet-sixteen qualifying North Central College team, but halfway through his rookie campaign Mike suffered another tragic injury. A stress reaction sidelined Mr. Boyd for the remainder of that season and he was forced to watch the fruit of his efforts blossom into a sweet sixteen appearance as a practice player.

Attempting to move onto bigger and better things, Mike used the time and experience he had accumulated at North Central College to acquire a new basketball scholarship to play at Harper junior college in Palatine Illinois. In a new setting surrounded by a new team, Mike had hoped that his change in scenery would translate to more success than his last college experience. Despite the high hopes Mike had placed on himself prior to his Harper Junior College season opener, Mike was once again unable to live up to his own larger than life expectations thanks to a lingering injury sustained in practice at North Central. Following a teammate rising up for a rebound, Mike simply ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time as his teammate’s elbow landed directly on Mr. Boyd’s nose. It should go without saying, but most collegiate basketball players are large men, and the weight of his teammate crashing back down to the court, and into Mike’s nose, resulted in a break that required near complete nasal reconstruction/deviated septum surgery. Mike Boyd wouldn't see too much action for the remainder of his sophomore year, but even though he was down, he never counted himself out. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Mike treated his time on the bench as a valuable opportunity to learn the game of basketball from a different perspective. Playing behind two D-2 guards on full ride scholarships, Mike watched and learned from his teammates, paying particular attention to the defensive side of the ball. Although Mr. Boyd left Harper junior college in Palatine Illinois after that first injury riddled season, he still accredits the university and his teammates to his progression as a man and as a basketball player.

The next step in Mike Boyd’s journey off of the beaten path was to go back to a place that had been there since the start, Roosevelt University in Chicago. Roosevelt was among the schools to offer Mr. Boyd a basketball scholarship straight out of high school. Although they were clearly not his first option, when Mike discovered that their offer was still standing, it took little time for him seize the opportunity to rekindle his career in yet another new setting. Only this time he wouldn’t be rebuilding in Naperville or Palatine, instead, he would be resurrecting his career in very Streets Michael Jordan walked in the historic Basketball town of Chicago. Ask anyone native to the Chicago area about the effects of living in the city, and they will tell you it’s difficult to bask in the light of Chicago’s iconic Sky Scrapers and not feel inspired despite the looming darkness of urban life. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Mike would never see the opportunity to utilize this inspiration. Before the season even started, Mike Boyd’s childhood dream of lighting up scoreboards for his city was jeopardized due to a severe condition in his ankle known as Avascular Necrosis, which translates to “bone death”. His condition sidelined him for the entire season and threatened a lot more. “The doctor straight up told me I would never play again” exclaimed an emotional Mike when asked to recall his experience with doctors following the injury. Even in the midst of receiving this life altering news Mike Boyd’s love for the game never wavered, and he had four choice words for that doctor “You don’t know me”. Following that visit to the doctor’s office, those words remained branded into the folds of Mike’s brain, serving as constant motivation to prove that medicine doesn’t know his body and his will as well as he does. In true underdog fashion, after receiving a professional opinion that he may never see the court again, and receiving a projected minimum two year recovery time, Mike defied all odds by making his triumphant return to the team in a year and half’s time, a whole six months before his projected recovery date.

Mike Boyd’s unique story was never defined by his less than fortunate circumstances, but rather his will to overcome them. Even at his lowest, Mike's desire never fell below that of his rivals and peers. Time after time when his path led to a fork in the road suggesting an easy walk out or a climb to success, he made the choice to grit his teeth and continue climbing towards his dreams. Currently, Mike Boyd is pursuing several business options such has his own company entitled Training With Purpose. This is while he simultaneously facilitates his progression as an athlete in player development internships and debating whether or not the continuation of his basketball career will remain rooted in Chicago or to take his talents overseas. Wherever his life leads though, I’m sure he will do so pursuing the boy’s dream, and with this philosophy in mind to guide him. “Many think that the mark of a great Champion is the nature and margin of their victories and the peaks they scale and reach. That’s only part of it. The mark of the greatest of champions is how they react and respond to defeat. That is when they become enshrined in our hearts and minds – as they rise again and into the immortal pages of our history.”