Jack Cunningham sat on the worn bleachers of the gym, the echoes of his players’ laughter and the rhythmic bounce of the basketball filling the space. He watched them with a mix of pride and frustration, knowing how far they’d come under his guidance, yet feeling the weight of his own unresolved issues.

The game had become his refuge, a place where he could channel his past mistakes into something positive, but the ghosts of his personal failures still loomed large.