When he finally decides to call it quits, Tom Izzo will forever go down as one of the best coaches in college basketball history (and I'm not just saying that because I am a loyal Spartan fan).
I've said it before, and I'll say it again; in the coaching profession there are lessons and wisdom that transcend boundaries, and at their annual sports banquet, Izzo shared one of those lessons while talking about a moment between one of his players (Adreian Payne) and a young fan named Lacey who was battling cancer. If you've been hiding under a rock the past six months, you can read the full story here.
Long story short, the team basically adopted Lacey, making her a part of team events and providing her and her family an all-access pass inside of the program. What they wanted to do was give her something more to fight for, but what actually happened was much bigger.
"People say that coaches are supposed to be role models, and that we're supposed to help people grow up, and be somebody that you learn from, and you hope that you teach players a lot of things."
"But every once in a while, players teach coaches." Izzo said, his voice full of emotion.
I'll let the video pick it up from there. Listen carefully at about the two minute mark as Izzo talks about one of the greatest moments he's had in his 30 years in East Lansing as he sat back, and watched the scene in a hospital room unfold.
The lesson here is simple. Don't be afraid to take a brief step back and learn from your players and also be sure that you're providing them the opportunities that can change their life, the lives of others, and who knows...maybe even your own life.
Lacey Holsworth lost her battle with cancer this morning at age 8.