There’s nothing more moving than when people strive together to achieve inclusivity. A beautiful example of this is the crowd at a US high school that went completely silent when a visually-impaired girl aced a shot at a basketball court. The touching moment is now breaking the internet, reassuring people’s hope in humanity.
The spectators at a match in Michigan went quiet so Jules Hoogland, who is visually impaired, could throw the ball through the hoop. Hoogland, who plays for Zeeland Public Schools Unified Basketball, made the shot look like a walk in the park.
The video shared by the school shows the athlete preparing to score a goal while the crowd sits in total silence. A woman was seen using a large pole to tap the basketball hoop frame so that Hoogland can “hear” where to throw. After a few taps, Hoogland aimed and scored like a pro making the crowd and her fellow teammates go wild.
The 17-year-old student of Zeeland East High School has successfully made a shot at every game this season, according to MLive. Talking to the local media outlet, Hoogland admitted: “I was really nervous because all these people are staring at me. Luckily, I couldn’t see them staring at me.”
The team which is made of students both with and without disabilities was playing its last game of the season at a school assembly when Hoogland sank her final free throw of the season in front of a crowd of 2,500.
And while it made have looked easy, the highschooler who started playing basketball in middle school said it took time to get a hang of it. “It’s a process, but it’s fun,” she told MLive in an interview. “It is frustrating at times, but I just keep going,” the girl said, who lost her eyesight by the time she was three. However, her perseverance have become a talk of the town.
The video which went viral on Reddit and TikTok left people amazed by her capabilities and caught the attention of even NBA players.
She’s blind.
This is the Twitter content I’m here for… https://t.co/mkMzi7anxP
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) March 25, 2022
Absolutely love this❤️ https://t.co/SwOWN3o1T0
— Kortney Dunbar (@KDXIII_) March 25, 2022
Sports are the best. https://t.co/dE2yFWCc1P
— Joey Wagner (@mrwagner25) March 25, 2022
sometimes, a single shot means everything. https://t.co/frTbDvYgbi
— Pettywap (@petmalupettywap) March 25, 2022
This is just fantastic. https://t.co/vtSXy6SM19
— Joe Ellis (@FauxToeJoe) March 24, 2022
This is beautiful!
The kindness, the support, the enthusiasm, the applause.
You know she heard the love 💛— Mychal (@mychal3ts) March 24, 2022
OMG! I have goosebumps all over my body. This is just awesome!!!
— Mary Keys (@pokeyspals) March 25, 2022
Look at the guy from the other team at the bottom celebrating her. Amazing!
— Luke Swain (@andlukethinks) March 24, 2022
😭😭😭 it’s spring allergies…I not crying
— Just Local Oaf Annie (@Likeitorlumpit) March 24, 2022
I love the people that made that work out. I love them all. Made me cry man tears. pic.twitter.com/eL4Ob2NBZf
— Jeff in GB (@JayPeeEss) March 25, 2022
What a magical moment she’ll feel and remember! ❤️❤️
— Hieu (@hieuyngo) March 25, 2022
That’s the human spirit
— DeMarco (@DeMarco64567558) March 24, 2022
Omg. This just made me bawl. ❤️
— Everyday is a Dumpster Fire 🇨🇦 (@chester4207) March 25, 2022
