Determination and heart are crucial qualities in football players. Successful football communities rally around their athletes and provide them with a tremendous support system.

The film “23 Blast” emphasizes these themes, providing an example of perseverance and overcoming adversity that all young athletes can learn from.

The movie is based on the true story of Travis Freeman and his return to football less than one year after losing his eyesight. “23 Blast” debuted at the 2013 Heartland Film Festival and makes its nationwide release today.

Now a professor at the University of the Cumberlands in Southeast Kentucky, Freeman said playing football taught him about discipline and overcoming adversity. Through the Travis Freeman Foundation, he has dedicated his life to telling his story and letting people know that “disability does not equal inability.”

“It’s humbling to know that people feel my story is worth telling,” Freeman said. “It’s about never giving up on your dreams. Life will give you a reality check at times, but you cannot allow people to tell you you can’t. You need to be able to overcome obstacles in life.”

A standout wide receiver in youth football, Freeman lost his eyesight at age 12 because of bacterial meningitis, but he never doubted that he could come back to the game. With the love and support of his close friends, family and teammates, Travis played center for Corbin High School in Corbin, Ky.

“There was never a doubt in my mind that I could do it,” Freeman said. “Football meant so much to me in my life. I was involved from an early age and always around it. My parents still wanted me to be a part of the team, just to work out with the guys or be a team manager, but Coach Farris said, ‘No, if he does anything, he is gonna play.’”

As a center, Freeman lined up over the ball and snapped it to quarterback and childhood friend Jerry Baker. During the pre-snap, fellow linemen alerted him as to where the defenders were so he could block.

The film shows what a powerful, positive influence a football coach can have – and the trust that Farris put in a young athlete.

“Coach Farris believed in me before I believed in myself,” said Freeman, whose story also is told in his autobiography “Lights Out.”

Dylan Baker, who makes his directorial debut with the film, wanted to portray a coach who cared more about his players than about winning. He was drawn to the script because he watched his father battle polio while he was growing up and thought it would be fascinating to shoot a film where the main character had a handicap.

“Having a child go through setbacks like an illness is the hardest thing for a parent. You feel powerless,” Baker said. “Travis looked at what happened to him as a possibility, and it hasn’t held him back. It’s exciting because the film holds out such hope for people watching. You can overcome your obstacles the way he did.”