"It’s not about being equal, necessarily. It’s about being equitable." @FairfieldU @StagsMensBball

Sydney Johnson and Kyle Koncz, EN 11-Fairfield University

Coaches Sydney Johnson and Kyle Koncz, stellar mentors and leaders for the Fairfield University Men's Basketball team, granted a request to visit my section of EN 11: Texts and Contexts - a required course for all first-year students, on October 3rd. The goals for this course are to develop effective writing and to begin thinking like a researcher who asks good questions, seeks relevant information, and communicates with an audience about new findings and learning. Both men were a tremendous bonus to the semester's class and, to be honest, a complete testimony to their dedication to academics, community, and sports.

            

My students are reading Warren St. John’s Outcast United, the story of a refugee soccer team in Clarkston, Georgia, who is coached by a woman named Luma Mufleh. We've recently received funding so that we can attend a home basketball game in support of the Stags at Webster Arena with several relocated refugee guests currently residing in southern Connecticut (we will be running a 5K for refugees in New Haven this February, too). 

            

While reading Outcasts United as a mentor text, we've been discussing how Warren St. John chooses to share his knowledge in a book composed from interviews, observations, and research. The text tells much more than the story of a soccer team. It is an exploration of globalization, super-diversity, and history. 

Producing athletes for the game of soccer is akin to guiding writers to compose for life. The best writers work on new skills, draft, scrimmage, are pulled in by the coach for mentoring and reflection, get sent out to play again, and return to discuss what works and doesn't work. For these reasons, Coach Johnson's philosophy on coaching basketball resonated with me and my approach with teaching writing.

I don’t coach all kids the same. For me, it’s not about being equal, necessarily. It’s about being equitable. I think certain guys need more or less. I think that some guys respond to tough love. Other guys need an arm around them - a pat on the back.  I think it’s about giving folks what they need within their comfort zone. It’s not babying them.

Lev Vygotsky, in teaching terms, would call this the  Zone of Proximal Development. The best instruction comes from building a relationship with students and guiding them to achieve their next level of excellence. In the words of Johnson, "You don't turn it off if you really care." The best teachers  (coaches/mentors) work on relationships.

Johnson & Koncz, Writing Our Lives'13

Johnson and Koncz agreed to be interviewed by my class about their experiences as players and coaches and I transcribed the interview as a model so my students would see how interviewing is rewarding.  It provides irreplaceable information and data. Earlier this year, the coaches made an appearance at the Writing Our Lives-Bridgeport conference on campus and showed their dedication to work ethic. During the event, they met with my cousin, Mark Crandall, who oversees international change through Hoops for Hope, a non-profit dedicated to young people around the world. 

  

Coach Johnson arrived to Fairfield from Princeton University in 2011. At Princeton, he was a player, then coach, and mentored Kyle Koncz during his senior year. Although that season wasn't full of accolades, Koncz's drive became a legend in the eyes of Coach Johnson.

Even though we sucked during his senior year - we were really bad - he and his teammate were both captains and showed toughness. They kept working and we would get beat badly, yet they would come in the next day and keep working. They inspired their teammates and they inspired me. The younger guys on the team saw that. And they tried to model that the next year. And then the next year. And clearly, we recruited better players. The talent started to match the work ethic that he and his teammate helped put into place.

Johnson asked Koncz to assist him with an aim for recreating excellence at Fairfield University. According to Konz, this means one thing - the opportunity to play during the 2014 NCAA tournament and beyond.

I would say that the goal for the basketball program is to make it to the NCAA tournament. As a program, that is our ultimate level of achievement. Win the MAAC tournament and then go to the NCAA tournament.  If we’re talking about a long term goal that is #1

Coach Johnson felt same.

We just want to go to the NCAA tournament and nothing else is good enough, to be quite honest. It’s not enough to win. We want to win our class to gain respect. We want to be a program of intelligence. We want great men. 

Students and I have been reading in Outcasts United about the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual side of leading a team towards success. For these reasons, the willingness of Johnson and Koncz to share their coaching experiences were extremely valuable. It was a rare opportunity to hear two coaches discuss their intrinsic drive to build a better world. In the words of Sydney Johnson,

For me, it’s all about being a part of the community, to be honest. It’s to be an incredible example, being a leader and a student athlete. I want very good basketball players that work hard, who love to compete – those things contribute to the sport of basketball, but I also want them to be fantastic students. I want them to be engaged in class, I want them to sit up in the front row, to take notes, to talk to the professor.  I want them to be engaged with the different things that are going on around campus. I think being a part of the community is more than just being over at a table with the basketball guys and never developing great relationships.    

Coaches Johnson and Koncz demonstrated this belief by visiting our section of EN 11. While they spoke, they offered insight on their vision, lived experiences, and goals. A particular piece of advice offered by Sydney Johnson has been on my mind for the last couple of days. While reflecting on the great advice he received from coaches during his career he recalled,

I remember when I was a freshman, and we were playing against Providence. It was a higher level game for us and I was exhausted. As a freshman I was playing a lot of minutes, and I came to the courtside for a time out. “Coach, I need one. I need a breather.” And the assistant coach yelled back. “Don’t get tired. You’re not allowed to get tired.” And it just (he snap[ed his finger) clicked. I was like, “A’ight." I stayed on the court.

I replayed these words over the weekend while I hit mile three, four, and five on my daily run. I couldn't help but think of Luma Mufleh in Outcasts United, too. Most coaches would likely throw in the towel while coaching a team of newcomers in the United States, but she stayed on the field with them. In fact, she completely altered her life and built a community in support of their success. Instead of giving in to the lack of proper playing fields, the young men with post-traumatic stress, the impoverished conditions new arrivals were placed in, and the ubiquitous violence of the local community, Luma Mufleh gained strength and inspiration.

This, I believe, is what Sydney Johnson and Kyle Koncz are doing at Fairfield University, albeit under completely different conditions. Even so, the community of Fairfield can become part of his plan. Sydney Johnson told the class, "We need students to come to the games" and reflected on the days when his Princeton team used to play in empty stadiums.

Really it was amazing. No one came to our games. No one. You could hear both coaches on each side of the court calling out the plays and you could hear any time a teammate would jump up and support a teammate. Then, three or four years later when we walked out for games, you couldn’t hear anything. I mean it was just crazy. Packed. It was awesome. 

It is his hope that the Stags Men's team will recreate this in Connecticut. If the players are paying attention, their coaches are acting on what they believe in - they are modeling the dedication it takes to be successful. Syndey Johnson and Kyle Koncz didn't need to visit a section EN 11, but they did. They also didn't need to open the arena to young people of Newtown last season, but they did. They are dedicated to southern Connecticut.

I think we all were touched in some way in terms of the tragedy and complete heartbreak.There is no way to fix, I mean it’s just incredible. It was the least we could do. We were already going to be there playing ball, but to be there having these kids and their parents, and the kids mourning their loss that this community went through, opening the doors to a basketball game was not a really big gesture to do on our part. I was happy that for a few hours we could take their minds off of what happened.” 

 And I am a better man because of them. I believe Connecticut is, too. It is my hope that my students are, as well.

Here's to the 2013-2014 basketball season, including the game against Louisville on November 23rd at Mohegan Sun. A student asked coach Johnson about his game plan:

How much time do you have?  I wonder who Bryan is going to be cheering for [I have two masters degrees from the University of Louisville]. It’s going to be tough. We haven’t quite come up with a game plan yet. We’re going to figure it out. Those are fun games for us. Obviously we want to win. Either way, we are playing the defending champions. It’s a pretty big thrill. 

Hosting Johnson and Koncz in class last Thursday was also a thrill. I definitely will be cheering for them this season. Ubuntu.