Sport and the Growing Good

Chris Span is Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Professor Span also serves as a Faculty Athletics Representative to the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA. Chris is a prolific scholar – a historian of American education – who is widely regarded as one of the leaders in his field. Notably, he is the author of the acclaimed book From Cotton Field to Schoolhouse: African American Education in Mississippi, 1862-1875. Originally from Gary, Indiana, Professor Span is also an elite pocket billiards player who learned the game as a youngster in Chicago and went on to travel the country competing at the highest levels of his game. He shares rich research and life-informed insights for coaches on history, knowing context, mentoring, and parent involvement. In this SGG episode, we discussed: 1.  His “accidental” journey to becoming a professor – including the advisor at Illinois (JoAnn Hodges) who supported him at a key juncture…And why he still shovels her driveway all these years later! 2.  How another mentor, his former professor Paul Violas, encouraged his trajectory to graduate school: “Maybe you should have a little more confidence in yourself because there seems to be people who have a lot of confidence in you.” 3.  Why JoAnn Hodges made a difference: “She spoke to me like we were family… I had never met anyone in college who spoke to me like a family member.” 4.  “I believe that maybe she saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself at that point in my life.” 5.  How he became an elite pocket billiards player – and the relationships he formed along the way. 6.  What his mentor, Bugs, “the Michael Jordan of pocket billiards,” said to Chris when Chris considered leaving school to pursue billiards full time. 7.  The importance of knowing the history and context of the places we work. “How am I a part of this larger narrative?” 8.  “No matter your station of life, you should be able to relate to people at their level.” 9.  The danger of hubris when coming into a new place or a new position. 10.  “Don’t shy away from the past, but don’t let the past guide you to the point where you are debilitated by it.” 11.  Mentoring by showing and listening instead of speaking. 12.  Dean James Anderson’s mentoring by storytelling. 13.  The kindness and compassion of his wife, another important mentor in his life. 14.  Being flexible and adaptive. 15.  “All young people need to grow into adulthood through trial and error.” 16.  “If parents lay the foundation for their kids, it will bear fruit.” 17.  “I’ve learned far more from my failures than from my successes.”

Bob Enright is a professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the founding board member of the International Forgiveness Institute, Inc. He pioneered the social scientific study of forgiveness and is the author of over 120 publications, including seven books. Professor Enright is not just a leading scholar, but also a world leader in fostering forgiveness in conflict zones such as Belfast, Athens, Liberia, and Galilee. Many of the coaches we’ve learned from on the SGG podcast have noted the importance of overcoming conflict on teams and developing trusting relationships. Forgiveness is at the heart of this trust and Dr. Enright shares some insights on forgiveness that can greatly help coaches and team. We discussed: 1.  How he came to the study of forgiveness…and the risk he took in doing so. 2.  When you forgive, “you get your life back, your energy back.” 3.  Why forgiveness is important in competitive settings, like team sports. 4.  The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Forgiveness is a “moral virtue that we offer when we are mistreated.” It is unilateral. Reconciliation is “when two or more people come together again in mutual trust.” It is dependent upon both parties. 5.  When we forgive, we seek justice. 6.  Forgiveness is not an acceptance of injustice or an excusing of injustice. 7.  Why it is important for leaders of teams – coaches in particular – to model forgiveness. 8.  Forgiveness is a counter to resentment that can linger for many years. 9.  Aristotle says you grow in any virtue through three things: “practice, practice, practice.” How do sports help us with this practice of forgiveness? 10.  One who forgives on a team is saying, “This is a human being and a teammate who is more important than what just happened.” 11.  Preparing for the injustices that are to come for us…and still being committed to ending the injustices. 12.  Forgiveness deals with the effects of injustice. The effects themselves are often worse than the injustice itself. The injustice may be one particular act in time (or even numerous acts), but the effects go on and can be passed on through generations. 13.  Coaches can play a role in stopping the hurt of injustice. 14.  Bob’s experiences working on forgiveness in Palestinian communities. 15.  Aristotle: “Never practice a moral virtue in isolation from the others.” 16.  Why just “fixing” an injustice does not bring about healing. 17.  Eight Keys to Forgiveness and the Forgiving Life as tools for coaches to begin learning about how to cultivate forgiving cultures on teams. 18.  Self-forgiveness is harder than forgiving others. One step to begin: forgive someone else first, then apply the same process to yourself.

Thom McDonald is the Commissioner of the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference and the Director of Basketball at Championship Productions. Thom was a successful high school and college coach before becoming one of the game’s important shapers of teaching and learning through innovation. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  The value of growing up near coaches and being an elementary school teacher. 2.  Becoming known as a “camp guy” as a high school coach and at Drake. 3.  What Rudy Washington saw when he watched Tom at the state tournament: “You don’t know who’s watching you, when they’re watching you, or why they’re watching you.” 4.  Gene Keady: “The first thing you should do every day is shave. Because you never know who you’re going to meet. And that person could change your life.” 5.  His trip to Philadelphia with Rudy Washington to learn from John Chaney and how it made so many future opportunities possible. 6.  Being willing to “take steps backwards in order to move forward.” 7.  How he went about building huge camps: hard work and getting the best people to come. 8.  Camps: “It made me a better coach and it gave me instant credibility.” 9.  “If you’re in the profession but not with someone who can help you, it’s not worth it.” 10.  Being offered the Florida State position from Leonard Hamilton. 11.  Making the decision to leave coaching. 12.  How championship productions has changed the ways coaches learn. (Pat Knight example). “We have the best authors on the planet.” 13.  Bill Bergan as worthy of being a Hall of Famer: “He’s a pioneer. For what he did, when he did it, and how he sustained it.” 14.  Bob Knight: “When you watch his videos, it’s pretty basic. It’s about expectations and imagination. Some of the most successful coaches on the planet are the most simplistic and demanding coaches on the planet.” 15.  “The coaches who stand out are the ones that know how to teach.” 16.  “Video is really important, because video does not lie.” (even when it comes to communicating with parents – you have all those factual things you can go to) 17.  Using both “gut” and analytics. 18.  The many “peripheral” people who make a living off the game of basketball: “They’re all needed, all wanted. You’ve just got to find what is best for you and go from there.” 19.  Webinars and the future of learning as coaches: accessibility and sharing. “I think the future is here. This is the new normal.”

Marques Flowers is the head coach of the girls basketball team at James Madison Memorial High School. After a highly successful playing career alongside his brothers, Coach Flowers has elevated the Memorial team to new heights. His program is one of the best in the state and Coach Flowers is making a positive impact on many lives – both as a coach and as a social worker at the school. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  His early love of sports and how his moves from Chicago to Iowa to Wisconsin shaped his family’s opportunities. 2.  Being the big brother in his family: leading by example. 3.  Playing for Cecil Youngblood at Beloit College, who invested in Marques “not just as a basketball player, but as an African American young man.” 4.  His mother: the values that she modeled every day, her sacrifices, and her commitment to finding ways for her boys to pursue their talents and interests, even amid financial challenges. 5.  The funny story about when his mom assembled a basketball hoop. 6.  Why Marques keeps costs down for participating in his program. 7.  Basketball as a meditative and therapeutic activity for kids. 8.  “Sometimes you just gotta roll the balls out and let the kids play.” 9.  Why having safe spaces for girls to play hoops is especially important. 10.  “The way you play is the way you live…If you want to become a better basketball player, you also have to think about what’s happening in other aspects of your life.” 11.  “Our goal is not to make themselves the best basketball players they can be, but the best people they can be.” 12.  The importance of connections: “You can’t win with people you don’t know.” 13.  The value of having a diverse program and school. 14.  The complementarity of his social work and coaching roles. 15.  “Sports give kids a low risk environment to practice resiliency. Nobody’s lights are going to get turned off, nobody’s going to lose a meal if they turn the ball over.” 16.  “If you’re doing it right, your kids should be connected to each other to the point where they can tell when someone’s going through something.” 17.  “Sport is a place where kids can learn to trust.” 18.  “Sport forces you to be vulnerable. Being on a team forces you to be vulnerable. It also forces you to learn how to connect with people. And empathize.” 19.  “I wish everybody in our country could get that understanding that we are all connected. If I’m not doing well, you’re not doing well…If we’re not aligned as a community around the idea that all of us have value and all of us matter, it’s hard to be successful…If we have pockets of our community that are not thriving, then that brings us all to a place where we’re not thriving. And that’s what team sports teach you.” 20.  “The goal was to create a community and to create a sense of belonging.”

LaMar “Soup” Campbell, a native of Chester, PA, is the director of player engagement for the Chicago Bears. He enjoyed a successful playing career with the Wisconsin Badgers and Detroit Lions before transitioning to a variety of leadership positions and front office settings. Soup completed his masters degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis Wisconsin and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  Growing up in Chester, PA. 2.  Transferring to Strath Haven and playing for Coach Clancy and Coach Jesson. 3.  Looking up to LeRoy Burrell. 4.  His mom hanging up the phone on Joe Paterno. 5.  Repeatedly making successful transitions. 6.  Barry Alvarez coming to his house to recruit him. 7.  Valuing conversation and getting to know others. 8.  Returning to Madison to get his undergraduate degree…and then moving on to masters and PhD programs. 9.  Being smart about proximity and daily routines in developing trust. 10.  Always keeping his door open. 11.  Modeling the behaviors you seek from others. 12.  Having meaningful conversations during the “in-between” time. 13.  His daily “walk of the building.” 14.  His experience in the Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis Department at the University of Wisconsin.

Claudia Reardon is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. Claudia works with Badger athletics, the International Olympic Committee, the NCAA, and other leading sports in supporting the mental health of athletes. She’s published widely in the field and is recognized as one of the leaders in the field of sport psychiatry. In this SGG episode, we discussed: 1.  Growing up in a household of high-level athletes – and what research tells us about having parents who exercise. 2.  How she got into the field of sport psychiatry. 3.  What her article, “Mental Health in Elite Athletes,” says about sleep and its impact on athletes (and why coaches need to be aware of this). 4.  Insignificant sleep leaves athletes at higher risk of injury. 5.  How can coaches optimize environments for mental health. 6.  Common situations that can stress athletes’ mental health: times of high training load and injury times. 7.  Communicating with parents about mental health. 8.  Promoting psychological flexibility. 9.  “Having a game-face on the field doesn’t mean you have to have a game-face off the field 24/7.” 10.  Poor mental health is associated with heightened injury risk. 11.  Mental health differences across sports. Reasons why individual sport athletes are at significantly higher risk of depression than other athletes. 12.  Issues relating to body image and eating disorders. 13.  Taking on a process-oriented outlook to foster growth. 14.  The golden age of mental health. 15.  The IOC’s diploma and certificate programs focusing on mental health in sport

Art Rainwater was the superintendent of the Madison Metropolitan School District from 1998 until 2008. He later served as a revered faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Art was formerly a football coach in Arkansas and Texas, as well as a school principal in Alabama. In this SGG episode, we discussed: 1.  His high school football and basketball coaches being “people I could talk to.” 2.  Starting a little league in his Arkansas hometown. 3.  Why he asked the coach of his college if he could join the team as a scout team member: “You really need to experience the things you’re asking people to do.” 4.  Keeping in touch with players he coached 55 years ago. 5.  The school administrator in Texas who first recognized his administrative potential, and the innovative way he prepared Art for a leadership role. 6.  In the coach-player relationship, “kids see through you… you can only be honest if you’re going to be successful with them.” 7.  “The ability to lead is based solely on trust and trust can only occur if you’re truthful.” 8.  Success stories of families he’s worked with, including the Flowers family at LaFollette High School in Madison. 9.  What he looked for in building a leadership team. 10.  Non-negotiable beliefs. 11.  Providing developmental and leadership opportunities for members of your staff. 12.  His daily routines as a leader, including detailed planning, early starts, and generous time allotted each week for individual team members. 13.  Carving out time for reflection. 14.  Being conscious of power in relationships.

Marisa Kresge is an assistant coach for the University of Wisconsin’s women’s soccer team and also a youth-level coach in the Madison area. After a successful college career, where she served as captain of UW’s team, Marisa’s coaching career is off to a quick start. Marisa’s players speak very highly of her – and she’s learning the ropes from Paula Wilkins, one of the most respected coaches in the game. In this SGG episode, we discussed: 1.  Playing competitive youth soccer with coaches who challenged her and instilled values in her. 2.  Understanding the developmental levels of the players she coaches. 3.  Leadership and cultural changes on the UW team during the 2013-14 seasons: “It changed our entire program.” 4.  Serving as captain of the UW team – and why she took on a vocal role. 5.  How an injury sowed the seeds of a coaching career in her mind – the injury was “a blessing in disguise.” 6.  The importance of kids loving the game and investing in it at a young age. “It has to be player driven.” 7.  Routines she uses with her teams – keeping it fun and engaging. 8.  Remaining open to new environments when transitioning into a new assistant coaching job. 9.  “It takes time to get to know someone, and the more time you invest in someone, the better thing will be.”

Vance Walberg is the head coach of Clovis West’s basketball team. Over the course of his long and distinguished career, he’s thrived at high school, community college, Division 1 college, and NBA levels. Coach Walberg is highly-regarded by coaches across the country, and in creating and generously sharing the dribble-drive offense, is known as one of the best innovators of the modern basketball era. In this SGG episode, we discussed: 1.  The impact of growing up as the middle child in a household with six boys. 2.  Getting cut multiple times in sports as a middle schooler… and always bouncing back, ultimately becoming the top player in the league. 3.  His wife Rose’s impact on his career as a coach. 4.  The 6:30am shooting opportunity that he presented to his teams: Going from 2 to 40 “everyday” kids in developing a hard-working program. 5.  Chris Hernandez. “When your best player is your hardest worker, you’re in for a special season. 6.  Why his teams don’t shoot free throws or have water breaks during practice. 7.  The long-term dividends of Chris’ “10,000 free throw summers” – and the thank-you call he placed after a big Stanford victory. 8.  His open-door policy with parents – including at practice. “Come by and see how hard your son works.” Rules: “Don’t come see me right after a game (24-hour rule). Don’t ask me to compare your son to another player.” 9.  His daughter as a coach at the cross-town rival school. 10.  The importance of his family in his life – and the way he prioritizes his role as a husband and dad above basketball. 11.  “Getting my team to be 2, 3, 4 points better the following year.” 12.  His purposeful commitment to learning and innovation, including the 1987 deal he struck with his athletic director that allowed him to learn from the best coaches in the country. 13.  “Seeing the game through angles.” 14.  Gaining ideas from other coaches – including what not to do. 15.  Giving back to the game by sharing ideas with the thousands of coaches who contact him. 16.  Working with George Karl and John Welch.

Pat Connaughton is not only a popular player for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, but also the President of the With Us Foundation, which creates access to sports for all kids. A native of Arlington, MA, Pat went on to excel in both basketball and baseball at the University of Notre Dame. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles prior to his senior year of college, but ultimately chose to pursue his NBA dream. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  “A lot of who I am stems from my parents” …who taught him… “don’t let something frustrate you, let it fuel you.” 2.  Fidelity House and one of his early coaches, Tim Graham. 3.  How his parents and coaches “challenged me in the right way.” 4.  Why he started With Us in 2016. 5.  The importance of actually being present at the camps and in developing relationships with the kids. 6.  The impact that can be made through developing and re-developing everyday athletics facilities. 7.  What influenced him to develop an “other-centered” focus: his parents and his university. 8.  His mom saying “do your best” rather than always focusing on others. And his parents’ encouraging him to be well-rounded (including the dreaded piano lessons on Wednesdays at 2:30!). 9.  Making efficient use of gap time during the season. 10.  Developing a resourceful network of people to learn with and from. 11.  Doing Zoom calls with kids to talk about life, developing good habits… and letting them know that “I was in your shoes at one time.” 12.  “I want them to feel like they are a part of something. You’re not alone. You’re with us.” 13.  Aspirations for the future, on and off the court. 14.  Living and playing in Milwaukee, where the Bucks are building a “family-like culture.”