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Hoop Dreams

9/28/2019

5 Comments

 
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What do working parents think of this story?
Michigan State basketball head coach Tom Izzo recently added five new players to his team for the 2019-20 season. They stand 6'9", 6'8", 6'7", 6'2" and ... 5'8". This, of course, begs the question: What makes a 5'8" player compelling for Izzo, a Hall of Fame coach who has led eight teams to the Final Four? The answer is simple; the 5'8" player is his son, Steven.

According to an article in the Detroit Free Press published earlier this week and a WXYZ Sports video clip, Coach Izzo told Steven that if he made his private high school's basketball team during his senior year, there'd be a spot for him on the MSU basketball team as a walk-on. Steven earned a spot on the Lansing Catholic High School team last year, so Dad Izzo, true to his word, made room for him on the MSU team this year.

As you might imagine, Izzo's decision to add his son to the MSU team has generated a lot of chatter. And his response may resonate with many working parents; “I’ve given up 18 years of my life [working at MSU] and he’s given up 18 years of his life [not seeing much of his dad in the winter]" The Free Press article continues, "Izzo wanted to be clear this isn’t simply about time. By taking his son as a walk-on, he’ll get to teach and mentor his son the way he does his players."

Many working parents would probably appreciate the opportunity to bring their kids to work more often. Many of us would like to be able to spend more time showing our kids what we do everyday in the office, in the field, or wherever our work is done. Few of us have that opportunity, even though we also make sacrifices by putting in long hours, participating in late-night phone calls with colleagues living on the other side of the world, and sometimes traveling to locations that take us away from our kids for days or weeks on end. And most of us do it for a lot less than the $4M per year that Izzo is earning. 

Maybe a job where you can favor your children is something to aspire to. Maybe Izzo has earned the right to show some favoritism and reap this personal reward because of the results he's achieved. Maybe he'll be able to teach his son more on the court than is possible at the kitchen table. Maybe children of successful parents deserve special preferences. And maybe the other players will benefit from Steven's participation on the team. 


Or maybe the lessons we take away from this story are as old as time: Family connections can make or break opportunies, it's often difficult to speak truth to power, and when coaches win, oversight weakens. 

What do you think? What can working parents learn from this story?
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Tom Izzo is a father, husband, and the head coach of the Michigan State University men's basketball team. He led the MSU Spartans when they won the NCAA Div I national championship in 2000, played in the 2009 championship game, participated in eight Final Four games, and won six Big Ten tournament championships. He has won four national coach of the year awards and has a proven track record when it comes to developing assistant coaches.
5 Comments
Jim Haselmaier
9/28/2019 08:52:28 am

There are multiple reasons I have a problem with what Tom Izzo has done:
* Even though it appears the NCAA does not limit the number of walk-on players, I can't help but think of the person who attempted to be a walk-on (and is better than Tom's son) but didn't make it....because young Izzo is there.
* Izzo is conveying to all the players on his team that he is not placing team success as his number one goal. Doing all in his power to maximize team success doesn't mean he has to "de-prioritize" his son. Izzo has opened the door to cause his players to question all sorts of his decisions. This is bad leadership.
* Izzo chose this profession. He knew the consequences. His justifications for his actions come across as elitist and hollow. Again, this undermines his leadership of the rest of the team.

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Editor link
9/28/2019 09:06:00 am

Is it possible that there is an upside for the team and this is part of Izzo's genius? e.g. What if players are even more more motivated when they see his son doesn't receive preferential treatment (beyond his spot on the team)?

What if MSU wins the national championship with Izzo's son on the team? Will that make it OK that he "gave" his son a spot on the team?

Is it ever OK to give our kids an "in"?

Reply
Jim Haselmaier
9/28/2019 09:12:29 am

1. Is it possible there is an upside? Sure. However none of Izzo's comments point to that. The justifications I've seen him make have all been about him, his time, his son's time, and being able to teach his son some things. He didn't once the video clip I saw said anything about this moving making the team better.

2. If the team wins the national championship will that make it OK he brought on his son? No, not in my opinion. Not right is not right. A desired outcome doesn't justify an incorrect behavior. (Someone getting their money back after I stole it doesn't make me stealing it right.)

3. Is it OK to ever give our kids an "in"? It depends on the level of "in". Helping them get an opportunity for them to prove their skills is not only life, but a fundamental role as a parent. But when the "decider" is the parent and that decision is made based on overtly selfish reasons (which is what Izzo said), along with displacing someone else (which I'm assuming given young Izzo's height).......I think that is wrong.

Reply
Alex Calder
9/28/2019 09:36:42 am

Something to consider is that he is not the only Hall of Fame coach to do this (not saying that it makes it right). Coach K (Duke) and Coach Calipari (Kentucky) have done the same thing. Izzo has also said that when his son came to him and said he wanted to be a walk on that he also brought him a list of other guys such as the ones mentioned above that had done this and that was a factor in allowing him on the team.

I think the thing to remember is that Coach Izzo doesn't care who you are on his team he will yell just as much at a senior All-American as much as a walk on for making a dumb mistake, that wont change just because that player may be his son. Realistically he will never see the court for meaningful minutes during his career at MSU, especially not this year as they open the season ranked as the best team in the nation.

Reply
Editor link
9/28/2019 02:20:19 pm

Is it safe to assume that other elite leaders at MSU (and other schools) have the same privileges? e.g. Can music professors admit their kids into the elite performance ensembles? Can the student government advisors let their kids learn alongside the student leaders? Can medical school professors let their kids sit in on their classes? (Hopefully they wouldn't actually admit them into the medical school.) Can the drama professors give their kids at least bit parts in productions?

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