Five former Syracuse University basketball players place fatherhood and improving the youth of America above all else in their lives — including their athletic careers.

Former SU basketball player and 2000 SU alumnus Etan Thomas headlined the “All-Star Fatherhood Panel” on Friday in the Schine Underground. The panel, moderated by SU alumna Rachel Vassel, featured Thomas, Derrick Coleman, Billy Owens, John Wallace, Lawrence Moten and Roosevelt Bouie. The panel discussed fatherhood, and Bouie, the only player without children, spoke about how his parents raised him as a child.

For Thomas, the inspiration for attending the panel and writing his book, “Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge,” was “to do something that was inspirational, especially to young
people.” Thomas said when kids don’t receive help at home or at school, they turn toward gangs.

“You see these kids dying over colors, dying for their brothers, but that’s our fault, we let that happen,” he said.

The panelists talked about the current NFL scandals and improving the well-being of youth in America. The overall message of the basketball stars was that people should do more to help the troubled youth of both their own communities and their country as a whole.

Thomas said he has worked on spreading this message with President Barack Obama through the “My Brother’s Keeper” campaign, which seeks to provide equal opportunities for boys and young men of color.

The panel also addressed the topic of whether or not children need a father in order to be a good parent. A teary-eyed Coleman took the microphone. He told a story of how every Father’s Day, he receives a text from a friend saying, “We made it.” This signifies that he has become a successful father in the absence of his own.

Rubin Wright, a student at Christian Brothers Academy, said the panel was a valuable experience because as a young person, he could gain the perspective of older generations.

“I thought it would be a good experience to see how the older people think about my generation,” Rubin said.

The crowd was filled with alumni visiting Syracuse for the Coming Back Together event,
which brought African-American and Latino alumni back to campus to celebrate their accomplishments. Don Vassel, a 1989 alumnus, said the panel made him reflect on his own
experience as a father.

“It will be interesting, having three children myself, if their stories are relatable to my experience,” Vassel said.

Thomas said he wants to shed light on those who are doing good things, in comparison to those who do wrong and get a majority of the media coverage. He added that if kids weren’t surrounded with bad influences and examples, then maybe they wouldn’t be in the position that many of them are in today.

“Young people are getting bombarded with negativity from every angle,” he said.

All former players agreed that role models need to be supportive, but they also need to show their kids right from wrong.

The word that was uttered more than any other during the talk was “respect.” Moten was the biggest advocate for respect, telling the audience that growing up his grandmother always emphasized respect and it has meant everything to him.

Thomas said in the panel that troubled youth lack a respect of authority, but society lacks the same respect for them.

“Kids don’t respect adults because they feel that respect is a two-way street,” Thomas said.

Terry Sue Sweatt, a 1992 alumnus and a former classmate of Coleman and Owens, said the panel allowed her to see the players in another light.

“It was absolutely amazing … to see the growth in these individuals and the maturity, and the men they have grown to be, is just truly a blessing,” Sweatt said.

Thomas closed the talk by emphasizing involvement of the people. He said it’s as easy as talking to kids or lending a hand. He added that it takes good role models to make good role models, and his best advice on being a father figure.

Said Thomas: “Just be honest and transparent, you know there are no perfect fathers, no perfect role models. You can learn from anything.”

Published on September 20, 2014 at 4:35 pm

Contact Michael: mjriccar@syr.edu