A young man wishes to adopt a problematical eight-year-old boy being kept in an institution. Simply because he is single, he has an uphill battle with the government bureaucracy, and particularly with a power-hungry administrator. After many delays, they deny his application. Then, he finds a way to turn the tables on them for the boy's own good.

The true story of University of New Mexico track star John Baker who, dying of cancer, spent his remaining time coaching a losing girls' track team to a winning season.