Coach Izzo of Michigan State University suspended his starting guard Chris Allen without much explanation. However, he made it clear that something inappropriate or concerning happened. His explanation for the suspension was “Somebody has got to grow up. It’s taken a little longer for some guys to grow up. He just has to learn he has a responsibility. Whether it’s curfews, whether it’s a practice, whether it’s about caring about (teammates).”
I just wanted to highlight these statements because it’s at the core of our healthy mentoring and bystander intervention work. It’s 
about responsibility. It’s about holding people accountable for their actions. It’s also caring about another person and taking an interest in their life by letting them know when they aren’t fulfilling their duties and responsibilities. I don’t know why Coach Izzo suspended Allen, but he’s sending a message about what is expected fromhis players. He’s letting them know about appropriate and inappropriate behaviors as well as what it means to be a leader and teammate. Take a look at the story here.
As a coach, Izzo is in a perfect role to set an example for his team and staff. Coaches and trainers have numerous opportunities to impact the players they work with and intervene when things are inappropriate. A wonderful resource is Coaching Boys into Men. They provide a great playbook with scenarios and language for being proactive with your players about developing character and leadership.
Now most of us aren’t coaches but we all have friends, relatives, peers, coworkers, students, or neighbors in our lives that look at our actions and make assumptions about what is appropriate and expected. What are your actions saying to them? Take a look at our MAC Mentoring page and MAC Newsletter for more about mentoring.
Thanks Andy for the heads up about this story.
