SYNOPSIS:

NORMAL is the story of Jalen Leonard. To say that Jalen Leonard’s life got off to a rocky start would be putting it mildly. Jalen is born two and a half months premature and extremely underdeveloped. He would spend six weeks in neonatal intensive care clinging to life. The full ramifications of Jalen’s difficult birth would not come to life immediately, but once they do Jalen would be in a constant battle to be seen as normal. Act 1 begins in the neonatal intensive care unit at the local hospital. There is a great deal of commotion within the unit, as a young life is in the midst of a “code blue”. The young life that was in distress was Jalen. Jalen is resuscitated, but initially is clinging to life. With each passing day, Jalen would get stronger. Jalen would have a full recovery, but after two years Jalen’s parents John Leonard and Corrine Leonard, knew something was not right with their son. He didn’t walk or move like other children. His legs were stiff and spastic. He would fall a lot. After seeing a team of doctors, the Leonard’s are given the diagnosis that Jalen was born with Cerebral Palsy. Act 2 begins with Mr. & Mrs. Leonard in the principal’s office at the elementary school. Jalen is about to begin kindergarten and the educational plan of the principal is to educate Jalen in the same fashion as the other “special” kids that have come before him. At this point, Corrine became her son’s biggest advocate. “Because this is the way we have always done it” was not going to be an adequate response for Mrs. Leonard. Mrs. Leonard insisted that her son be mainstreamed with the other students and ride a regular school bus. Jalen’s integration into the regular student body was integral to his development and self confidence and also taught Jalen’s classmates tolerance, patience and acceptance. The Leonard household is a sports household. Sports was always on the TV. The kids in the neighborhood were always involved in pickup games. Jalen would try his best, but just didn’t have the same success that the other kids his age would have because of his physical limitations. His legs just didn’t move in the same way. However, because of that he would use his arms to compensate and if need be his upper body would perform tasks his lower body could not. Given his upper body strength, the Leonard’s thought an alternative to traditional team sports might be possible. Wrestling was that possibility. Jalen was extremely excited about what was possible, about being able to be part of a team, about being able to put on a uniform. This dynamic was similar to having a kid being part of a poor family and he or she sees sports as a path to success. Jalen saw wrestling as his path to acceptance. His path to being seen as normal. Act 3 begins rather conspicuously during Jalen’s freshman orientation. Jalen stumbles getting off of the school bus and that was his introduction to Coach Josephson, the high school wrestling coach. Coach Josephson helps Jalen up after the fall and the pair have a conversation where Jalen informs him that he is coming out for the wrestling team. Coach Josephson is outwardly encouraging, but his later actions would show that he has substantial concerns about Jalen being part of the wrestling team. Concerns over Jalen’s Cerebral Palsy led to Jalen failing his physical and his being ineligible to wrestle. The school physician failed Jalen in large part based on the recommendation of Coach Josephson. This led to Mr. Leonard advocating for Jalen and he met with Coach Josephson. Coach Josephson had legitimate and probably warranted concerns about Jalen being injured, bigger concerns than what he has with other wrestlers. John Leonard knew how important this was to his son the Leonard family was willing to take the injury risk. Jalen turned out to be remarkably durable throughout high school. He never missed a practice or a match. He never had an injury, at least none that he ever admitted to. Jalen was a good enough high school wrestler to go on to wrestle in college where he continued to be durable. Jalen was able to show his dedication to wrestling through his durability. He was a “lead by example” athlete from his first day on campus. However, Jalen had difficulty adjusting to college life and being on his own. While very dedicated to his sport Jalen did not show the same dedication academically. Jalen did the bare minimum in order to be able to compete and that caused issues between Jalen and his parents, specifically Mr. Leonard. Mr. Leonard demanded that his son quit the sport he loved in order to focus on his academics. Jalen told his family that he did indeed quit the wrestling team, but for the next three years Jalen would live a lie and continue to compete without his family’s blessing. Not only was Jalen still wrestling, but he doubled down. Jalen developed a close relationship with Coach Fitzpatrick. Coach Fitzpatrick joined the coaching staff midway through Jalen’s freshman season. Coach Fitzpatrick has quite the wrestling pedigree, wrestling in the Olympic Team Trials a few years earlier and thought that Jalen could achieve that same goal. Jalen continued to work hard on the mats and progress through the college ranks, but he was also able to right the ship academically and after four years was on track to graduate. Jalen had not yet informed his family of his Olympic aspirations because they were still working under the assumption that he was no longer wrestling. Jalen’s family was expecting Jalen to start working towards a career upon graduation. This all came to a head just prior to Jalen’s senior season awards banquet when Jalen finally did inform his parents of what he had been doing and what his intentions were. Jalen’s parents were not on board with this choice and this conversation escalated into an argument between Jalen and Mr. Leonard. The relationship between Jalen and Mr. Leonard was estranged for several weeks. The pair did not speak during this time, but Mrs. Leonard did convince her husband to attend the awards banquet. During the banquet, Jalen was named his college’s Most Inspirational Athlete. His coach spoke so very highly of Jalen’s character and leadership. It was during this speech that Jalen’s parents realized that wrestling was their son’s platform. Wrestling was Jalen’s opportunity to make a difference in the world and provide inspiration to others. To show that all things are possible. Jalen would indeed go on to wrestle in the Olympic Trials with the support and blessing of his parents. Competing alongside some of the best wrestlers in the world finally gave Jalen that feeling of normalcy that he has been pursuing his entire life.

NORMAL