Groton — It is entirely human to yearn for the next thing in our lives. Endure the present, but flirt with the future.

This was Keith Porter. He endured his present for three years, traveling the world in pursuit of his professional basketball dream. An exercise, at best, in frustration management. It is only now that Porter has come to view the present as a true present — a literal gift from God — has life's abundance become clearer.

Keith Porter: Not many better basketball players than he in New London High lore and legend. None better — ever — at UConn Avery Point. And now he's taken everything he's ever learned and decided that a basketball isn't nearly as important to him anymore as a pair of scissors.

Porter and his fiancée, Stonington/Avery Point alum Falecia Cabral, used the scissors to cut the ribbon at 2:13 p.m. Monday afternoon. They officially opened their new facility, Progression Training, in the shadows of Groton-New London Airport.

They were exactly where they were supposed to be.

They will be helping kids on the basketball court inside the new facility. Porter's best friend and New London alum Ahmond Gomez will train kids for football on the synthetic turf. Yes, this was The Plan after all.

"We are Christians and we have a strong faith," said Cabral, who has returned to Stonington to assist the great Paulla Solar. "When Keith was training for the league (the NBA) we were in the mindset 'Why isn't it working? What are we doing wrong?' There was a reason. I'm realizing that our impact is in this town. Right here. The impact we can have on kids can change lives. I feel like this is our purpose."

Porter, who eclipsed 1,000 career points at New London and Avery Point, began his professional basketball quest in Spain. It was 2017. Then Puerto Rico. A Nets G League (the G League is the NBA's minor league organization) workout. A Celtics G League workout. A G League invite in Chicago. Las Vegas. Showcases in Charlotte and New York City.

"It was always back to the drawing board," Porter said.

And then he realized the drawing board needed new architecture.

"It takes something bad to happen sometimes for God to get our attention," Porter said. "A lot of the time, we're so focused on ourselves and going with the flow that we're not paying attention to the most important things. Through those shortcomings, I had the biggest blessing. You don't need to be on the big stage to have that impact on people. I'm starting to understand that people are important. How can you change somebody's life? That's your legacy. Not how much money you make."

Now Keith Porter, who has a degree from Central Connecticut in marketing, has a more universal cause: Help others.

"Growing up in New London, you don't always have those role models," Porter said. "I wish I knew all the things I know now when I was 15. Luckily, I had coach (James) Childs (at Avery Point). We want to have that same impact on kids. It's starting to make sense. Let's not focus on my situation, but on others. So many times in society we are focused on ourselves. What better thing to do while struggling in your situation than to help someone else achieve their dream? That's our foundation."

Porter and Cabral dabbled in training for a while. As their seriousness increased, so has their client base. All as their focus and their faith are interwoven.

They call it "Progression Training" in the spirit of getting a little better every day. One drill leads to the next. The words, too, so perfectly explain their journey. Perhaps they once thought "progression" was the road from New London to Spain. Their "progression" has morphed into a faith-based journey back home.

They can be reached at progressiontrainingCT@gmail.com.

Some seriously nice people here. With an inspiring story and message.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro