Michael “Skeet” Horton wanted to get a tattoo. He was 27 and had overcome so much in his life. This tattoo was his way of celebrating who he had become and his journey.

Michael knew that basketball and the way he gave his very best on the court – he hooped ‘til it hurt – was why he had succeeded in life. Frankly, the odds weren’t in his favor. Skeet grew up in one of the toughest Chicago neighborhoods with adults in his life who didn’t go to work every day and where drugs and alcohol were often around. The people in his life didn’t expect much from him.

When Michael was in 8th grade, he tried out for the Chicago Demons basketball team. Until then, baseball had been his sport but friends were trying out for the team, so he decided to join them and that decision may have changed the trajectory of Skeet’s life. With basketball, Skeet found male role models — men who went to work every day; who were responsible; who demanded respect; who cared about him and expected him to give his very best every day.

It was Skeet’s association with basketball that landed him his first job working in the summer program for Project Education Plus, a non-profit supporting Chicagoans in need. When he graduated from college, Skeet was hired again at Project Education Plus to write grants. He started coaching basketball right away and continued for 25 years, mentoring and inspiring young men to give their very best on and off the court.

Hoop ‘Til It Hurts Foundation was built upon the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to benefit from competing in basketball. Our mission is to celebrate and to invest in boys and girls in our hometown of Chicago and throughout the United States by providing athletic apparel and grants to pay for costs associated with tournaments, registration, league fees, travel expenses and gear.

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Get ready to be inspired as you listen to this episode with Michael “Skeet” Horton from Hoop Til It Hurts in Chicago, Illinois.

Twitter - @hooptilithurts1 @HTIHFoundation

Email - [email protected]