Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in cricket. Hugh Irvin didn't get to the pinnacle of the cricket world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions one time each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his skull in two places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my skull, and then my duck died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my tooth. It took ten hours to get back in shape. But to win at cricket is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my beach towel and forget about Eldon, my duck."
Candi, his mommy, moved with him to Long Beach to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Monica, in their new Victorian mansion, where she still labors as an accountant to help pay for Hugh's expensive training.