PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION : ‘Bo Believed’--in Himself
On the afternoon of Friday, May 11, I met with Bo Kimble to discuss his role in the delicate situation of awarding Hank Gathers’ diploma, which would be done posthumously. Bo, as usual, was calm and confident that everything would go well.
Having settled his responsibilities and the arrangements for the award, talk turned to the one-on-one contest, in which eight of the best college basketball players who would turn pro compete. He had just been named one of the competitors. Where did he think he might finish? His response was matter-of-fact: He would be ready; he would do exactly what was necessary to win. He would win. His response did not surprise me.
I first met Bo, along with his best friend Hank, about five years ago in my office. Basketball Coach Paul Westhead had brought me to be interviewed as the last stage of their possible admittance to Loyola Marymount University. They were in their second semester at USC. Kimble and Gathers brought first-semester transcripts with them and a list of the courses they were taking then, their second semester. Both were somewhat confused, obviously hurting and a little defensive. They had decided to transfer after their coach at USC was replaced.
Hank, as was his nature, was more evidently emotional and upset. Bo, however, was very calm and deliberate, not overly talkative, but willing to answer any and all questions. Yes, LMU was his first choice for a transfer. Yes, he wished to earn a degree, expected to earn a degree. Yes, he definitely was interested in a television and film career. He understood that there would be no more physical-education credits. He needed philosophy, theology and basic courses before he would be able to take communications classes. No problem. He was confident that he could take and pass the courses necessary to receive a diploma. He never doubted that he would graduate. He believed.
We accepted him on the basis of his USC work and received the high-school transcript later. There wasn’t a great deal in his high school records that would predict success for him in college. That element was not evident in anything we had on paper, but was very evident in the interview. He had tremendous confidence. He was spectacularly motivated in the sense that he believed he could accomplish whatever he wished. And, more important, he was willing to do what was necessary to achieve his goals.
Earning his degree, overcoming a knee injury, winning the one-on-one, dealing with the death of his best friend and bringing together a team after the tragedy of Gathers’ death are both testimony and tribute to his belief in his own self-determination.
“Bo believed” is a significant element in the success story of Bo in the classroom and on the court. A second element, namely the system--that is, the university--must also come into play. First, the system has to function properly, right from the beginning. Universities must develop ways to evaluate, to judge this intangible of “believing.” Universities now look at courses, at grades, at SAT scores, at teachers’ and counselors’ recommendations.
High school athletic stars are brought to campuses, interviewed by coaches, by faculty members, by learning-resource people and even occasionally by academic vice presidents. But are we asking the right questions? Are we looking for the right information? How are we evaluating the likelihood of success for this young person? Does he wish to develop his talents and skills so that he can be a contributing person to society, not just to a basketball player? Does he want to read better, write better, communicate better? Is he interested in questions and problems, not just his own, but others? Is searching for answers more important than just being given answers?
These are not easy questions to ask, not easy questions for an 18-year-old high school basketball star to answer. As a matter of fact, they are probably not the easiest questions for any 18-year-old to answer. But these may be the questions we need to address when we interview scholarship athletes. I am not sure SAT scores tell us very much. The high school curriculum and grades offer a view of the past, but if the past is an inner-city environment these things may not tell us much about a possible future. What Bo proved is that believing in himself may be the most important ingredient for success in a college education. Universities need to understand and develop ways of evaluating this belief in young athletes, not just belief in themselves as athletes, but also as student athletes.
One additional thought on assessing this most difficult character trait or attitude in a young athlete: If we are unable to determine its presence or absence in the interview process, perhaps we need a full year to assess students. Perhaps we need to ask these young people to come to college and go to school, to learn, to prove to themselves and to others that they can and want to learn. Often their backgrounds do not automatically qualify them to believe that they can succeed. A year of learning, with minimal basketball, might accomplish wonders.
In the case of Bo and Hank, they had one year in which they were not permitted to compete, which helped create perspective and stability. Of all the selfish and self-serving rules that the NCAA continues to promulgate, freshman eligibility is at the top of the list. I will never understand why university presidents have not stood up to the system and said that all freshmen come to school first, play basketball or football second. Then, by the end of a true freshman experience, a true college experience, the student athlete may well believe that he can complete his education, earn a degree and contribute to society in many, many ways other than sports.
If belief is there, the system can and will work. It worked for Bo and Hank. It can work for others. Paul Westhead refers to his style of basketball coaching as “run the system.” Bo proved that you can “run the system” off the court, too. Lots of people need to be committed to making the system work: coaches, faculty, support people, family, friends. Just as in basketball, the system will fail unless everyone is playing together and supporting one another. The system should work for far, far more of our student athletes than it is doing, whether at LMU or hundreds of other institutions of higher learning.
On May 12, 1990, we presented Bo Kimble with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. We presented a degree to an educated young adult, a young man who is able to think, to reflect, to understand and to communicate. He has dealt with pain, in himself and in others. He has seen suffering, even death, and moved forward. He has rallied his friends, faced his competitors, won and lost, and moved on. Bo learned because Bo believed in himself. Bo ran the system on and off the court. I do not know whether Bo will be a star in the National Basketball Assn. What’s more important, he is ready and able to lead a useful, productive and rewarding life.
If the past is an inner-city environment, high school grades may not tell us much about a person’s college future.
