'Big T' touts motivation

Former Utah Jazz star Thurl Bailey believes schoolteachers and celebrities in the public eye have a common responsibility: motivating kids to be their best.

"These kids need to be motivated," Bailey told an audience of more than 70 public school teachers at Saturday's "Where in the World?" teacher workshop, sponsored by the Jazz and the Deseret Morning News' Newspapers in Education program. "I don't discourage a kid from being enamored about a basketball player and want to be like them," but players need to set an example that education and striving for goals are a vital part of life, he said.

Even more than encouraging kids to live their dreams, "Big T" told teachers they should urge students to "dream the mighty dream."

Saturday's event, at the new Zions Bank Basketball Center in Salt Lake City, is part of NIE's series of two-day workshops required by the State Office of Education for recertification. Day one of the workshop was held at the Delta Center on Jan. 10 and featured Jazz assistant coach Gordon Chiesa and player Curtis Borchardt.

NIE sponsors one workshop a month, and NIE coordinator Sherry Madsen said the Jazz workshops are among the most popular. Teachers from the Weber and Ogden school districts south along the Wasatch Front to Nebo School District attended the events.

In the 1990s, the team and NIE paired up for a workshop every year for 10 years. After a three-year hiatus, Jazz representatives called the paper and said they wanted to team up again.

Madsen said she has talked with NIE coordinators in other cities who say they have not had nearly the level of cooperation with their National Basketball Association teams that the Deseret Morning News has had with the Jazz.

Bailey said NBA players need to focus more on giving back to their communities — especially to the children who admire them. Bailey tries to visit about 25 schools each year.

Harris Elementary School — the oldest school in Tooele — took home a $500 package of sports equipment — including several basketballs, soccer balls, four-square balls, jump ropes, baseballs and hula hoops — for having the most teachers in attendance at the workshop.