Tom Izzo and Draymond Green Lead the MSU Spartans to Sweet Sixteen Third Year in a Row with Optimistic Spirit

By Dr. Russ

March Madness is in full swing.  Tom Izzo, Draymond Green, and the MSU Men’s Basketball team continue to teach the invaluable role of optimism in leadership and success not only in sports, but in life. 

Once again MSU is in the NCAA “Sweet Sixteen.”  Unlike last year and the year before, when they had many apparent obstacles to overcome, this year they entered the tournament as a number one seed.  But, optimists take nothing for granted and Izzo and his star senior player Green have carried over their optimistic lessons of years past to build on the successes of this year.

OPTIMISM TIP:  Be an Obstacle Terminator

What is an obstacle?

Obstacles are factors that have the potential to interfere with, derail or completely block our progress toward goal accomplishment.  Internal-to-Self Obstacles are our collections of fears, anxieties and self-doubts in any given moment.  External-to-Self-Obstacles are challenges and problems that need to be assessed and solved.

How do optimists versus pessimists deal with obstacles?

Highly Skilled Optimists (about 10% of the general population) learn to accurately identify obstacles standing in the way of successfully completing their plans and goals so that they can effectively terminate them with rationale problem solving.

Optimist-Pessimist-‘Tweeers (formerly referred to as Mr. or Ms. In-Betweeners; about 70% of the general population) try to go through, over, under or around the obstacle with foolhardiness, ignoring, fearing and stumbling around. In effect they self-handicap their progress and experience unnecessary frustration, worry and irritability with only moderate success at best.

Pessimists (about 20% of the general population) give their power over to the obstacle, blame it for their failure, say it can’t be or couldn’t have been done; impose a negative state of hopelessness upon themselves.

Example of an Obstacle Terminator

Two years ago, Draymond Green, a stand-out sophomore, basketball player for Michigan State University, was driving toward the basket with 23 seconds left in the NCAA semi-final game against Butler University.  MSU was one point down, 50 to 49.   In 6’6” Green’s way was one “BIG EXTERNAL-TO-SELF-OBSTACLE,” 6’9” Butler player Gordon Hayward.  As he leaped up to take the shot, Green appeared to get “smacked” by Hayward. The ball bounced off the rim of the basket; no points.  The refs did not call a foul.  Butler won the game.  Afterwards Hayward admitted he might have gotten a piece of Green’s shooting arm, committing a foul.

So, what did Green say?

What Green DID NOT say:

1.    He did not blame the refs for a “no call,” doing so would have made him a PESSIMIST since he has no hope of overcoming the obstacle of the “BAD CALL REF.”
2.    He did not say Hayward made a better play on him.  Doing so would have made him an OPTIMIsM-PESSIMISM-‘TWEENER as he only had partial control over the outcome of any one-on-one play in any given moment.

What Green DID say: 

• “Maybe I did get smacked, but on my behalf I have to go stronger . . .”

In this moment, Green was speaking like a “highly skilled optimist” because he took personal responsibility for the future TERMINATION of an obstacle like this.  In saying, he needs to learn to “go stronger” toward the basket he was taking CONTROL OF WHAT HE COULD CONTROL – learning and practicing the skill needed to GO STRONGER; not let a “smack on the arm” interfere with his future shot making.   He likely already is planning out practice sessions where he can PRACTICE “going stronger” against JUST SUCH an obstacle.

An Obstacle Terminator Role Model and Teacher

In my opinion, Green’s coach, Tom Izzo, is another example of a “highly skilled optimist.”  As a college student, he missed a game winning free throw at the end of a championship game.  Since that day, and right up through today, Izzo shoots one hundred foul shots a day in any given practice making sure that whatever “Internal-to-Self-Obstacle” (there are no external-obstacles in foul shooting) that interfered with his shot in-that-moment stays TERMINATED FOREVER.

Fast Forward to 2012

Optimists learn from their mistakes. In last night’s game against St. Louis University, St. Louis was on a run and had pulled within two points with only a few minutes left.  This time, instead of trying to muscle past the obstacle of several defensive players and go for a lay-up, Green passed out to his point guard yelling encouragement and confidence to Keith Appling that he could make the three-pointer despite a recent shooting slump.  Appling sunk the shot, Green got credit for an assist, and MSU went on to win without further major challenge.

Can Tom Izzo Build Team Self-Confidence and Eliminate Fear Within?

By Dr. Russ

Wednesday is Just One Thing Day.  It is the day I answer the oft asked question:   “Please Dr. Russ, can you just tell us one thing to help us eliminate pessimism and grasp more optimism.” The TIP OF THE WEEK is thus BORN. 

Today’s TIP is an update and rework of a post from last April of 2009 re-designed to answer the question about whether Tom Izzo, coach of the MSU Men's Sweet Sixteen Bound Basketball team, can build the optimistic self-confidence needed to win the next game.

Tip of the Week:  Fear is the enemy of OPTIMISM.  But, look only inward, not outward, to find the FEAR and then ELIMINATE IT.

When Michael J. Fox was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 29 in 1991, he behaved as a pessimist would. He began drinking heavily, “feared life without the perceived buffer of alcohol.” (p. 162 , Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist)  Within a year of the diagnosis he quit drinking and “. . . came to realize after a few months of disciplined sobriety . . . that my fear had nothing to with alcohol or lack thereof . . . it had to do with my lack of self-understanding.” (p.162)

Michael learned: “As I gained a more intimate knowledge of myself, why I did the things I did, what my resentments were, and how I could address them, my fear began to subside.”

At first, Michael experienced a long Pessimistic Moment assessing his strengths and weaknesses from an "ego-oriented perspective"-- one of comparison to others who were “normal.” He thought he was no longer normal and therefore didn’t measure up any more. He saw his weaknesses from this same "ego-oriented perspective" – Parkinson’s had taken his self-persona; he feared it, avoided it, felt numbed by it, and entered a state of hopelessness and helplessness.

As his ego-oriented fears subsided, he found he could face his Parkinson’s head on – “I feared it most when I least understood it . . . I had to learn to respect Parkinson’s disease.” (p.163)  He ceased his ego-oriented reactivity and adopted a task-oriented pro-activity – “reading all the materials available, meeting with doctors, surgeons, researchers, and finally after many years of lingering fear . . . getting to know fellow Parkinson’s patients.” (p. 163).

Tom Izzo, coach of the Sweet Sixteen Bound Michigan State University Basketball team can work hard this week to have his players follow this TIP.  He has to help them eliminate their fear of losing without their star, starting point guard Kalin Lucas and reduced services of two other seasoned players.  He must help them look inward to eliminate their fear, sometimes masked as overconfidence, of a Cinderella, no name team from Northern Iowa.   

Tom can accomplish this goal with a combination of “inward- looking” practice to eliminate the over-confidence of ego-oriented fears exchanging them for the self-confidence of task orientation born of dogged preparation regarding every nuance and detail of the opposing team’s strengths and weaknesses.  The result: a simultaneous strong respect for the opponent and belief in their defeatability.


Optimism Stamina for the MSU Sweet Sixteen Bound Spartans

By Dr. Russ

Tom Izzo and the MSU Men’s Basketball Team have once again advanced to the Sweet Sixteen after a fantastic finish in Seattle on Sunday as Korie Lucious shwished a three point shot just before the buzzer went off.  What an amazing and rewarding victory as optimism prevails.  Or does it? 

Three starting players are “banged-up.”  MSU star point guard Kalin Lucas ruptured his Achilles tendon on Sunday.  He is done for the season and will require surgery and 4 to 6 months of rehab.  Shooting guard Chris Allen has a severely strained arch and Delvon Roe has a torn meniscus in his knee with severe pain.  Both may only see limited action this coming weekend. 

With these alternating and opposing high and low moments it may be hard for the team and their coaching staff to hold on to their optimism. It might even be better to stay a little pessimistic and avoid any letdown.

According to reports the team maintained its optimism in the second half on Sunday by saying and believing they needed to win one for Kalin.  It will be difficult for the team to maintain its optimism if “Win One for the Gipper” is their only mantra.

In my Life in Lansing “Learning Optimism” blog I provided advice on how Kalin Lucas could maintain his “OPTIMISM STAMINA” in the face of his injury?

In this blog, I address how Izzo’s Team can keep their “optimism stamina” in the face of what some are calling devastating player losses at the wrong time.

Here is my suggestion: Let’s help Tom and the MSU Men’s Basketball Players maintain their “Optimism Stamina” with a round of the Dr. Russ Buss, “Glad About that Game.” 

Card One: Worst Case Scenario – At least they didn’t lose Sunday’s, second round, game.  And, on top of moving into the Sweet Sixteen at least they are not facing a number one seed Kansas team that was knocked off by ninth seed Northern Iowa.

Card Two:  Find the Silver Lining – The team and remaining players will now have to depend more on themselves and teamwork they have established.  Freshman players, now really sophomores in experience, like Draymond Green and Derrick Nix will get more opportunity to play at this level, with something on the line, which is likely to build character and skill.  Regardless of whether they play one, two or four more games, team members will have more skill and experience working together without depending on their star player – the strength of the returning star plus the new found self-sufficiency strength of the rest of the team can only solidify a fantastic foundation for next year. 

Card Three:  Develop the Golden Opportunity – There are at least two “golden opportunities” that Tom Izzo and his team might develop: 1) With Kalin Lucas almost certain to return for next season, unable to go pro due to his injury, the team might really have a chance to get a trifecta championship – Big Ten Title, Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Champs,. 2) Any of Izzo’s players that go through this type of adversity are likely to strengthen and deepen in character; come to a greater realization of what is really important in life and how to face and overcome TOUGH CHALLENGES!!!