Tyrrel is 16 and has dreamed for years of playing in the NBA, partly so that he can build a better life for his mother and siblings.
His mother raises Tyrrel and his four brothers and sisters on her own. In eighth grade he was one of the best young players in Hartford County, and everyone expected a strong high school career.
Then his younger brother got caught up in a serious crime and was sent to jail. Tyrrel was shaken to the core. He found it hard to concentrate or even to play, he began missing school, and he ended up missing his whole sophomore year.
When he returned, his age and the credits he had missed meant the regular route through school would no longer work for him.
Educate the Children Foundation sponsored Tyrrel so he could work toward a GED. He works on that diploma every day and keeps training and playing basketball.
His goals are clear: to reach the NBA, to show his family that setbacks can be overcome, and to make his dream a reality.
