NE State, Blountville, TN. As one of the top tennis player in the nation, Blake McMean had dreams of being a world class competitor. But behaviors that started when he was just twelve years old, and continued until a bad decision made at seventeen, put a sudden end to that dream.
Though he had been able to hide his drinking from his family, Blake admitted that he began drinking from his parent's liquor cabinet. By the time he was in high school, he had established a pattern of drinking on weekends. Perhaps his ability to get to 5 AM practices during the week helped him hide his risky behavior. Those practices did lead to a full tennis scholarship, which led to being on the road and hanging out with older kids. The unexpected and early death of his father complicated his poor decisions about drinking. On the night of the accident, he only wanted to have a good time with his friends.
The documentary detailed the impact of his decision on Blake, his mother and his sister. It is told through interviews with family, the police officer on the scene and his doctors. After the documentary, Blake slowly made his way to the podium and delivered his message before taking questions. More information can be found at his website. He encouraged the audience to make a promise to themselves and to post their successes on his Friends of Blake McMeans Facebook page.
