Springfield College Celebrates World Basketball Day with Author David Hollander
The Springfield College Division of Inclusion and Community Engagement hosted an early celebration of “World Basketball Day” on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, with a virtual presentation featuring professor and author David Hollander titled, “How Basketball Can Save the World.”
By: Damon Markiewicz
The Springfield College Division of Inclusion and Community Engagement hosted an early celebration of “World Basketball Day” on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, with a virtual presentation featuring professor and author David Hollander titled, “How Basketball Can Save the World.” Hollander is a clinical professor at the New York University School of Professional Studies, and his discussion highlighted his Humanities course, and his similarly titled book, How Basketball Can Save the World: 13 Guiding Principles for Reimagining What’s Possible.
Moderated by Calvin R. Hill, PhD, Springfield College vice president for Inclusion and Community Engagement, Hollander was joined by John Doleva, president and chief executive officer for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. The discussion covered Hollander’s general philosophy of how he believes basketball’s core values can lead us to improved societal unity.
“Basketball represents a social institution that allows for people to go to a centered space and work together to achieve a common goal,” explained Hollander. “Basketball demonstrates a vehicle to build more unified communities, which helps make us better people, and as a result, builds stronger communities.”
Hollander’s Humanities course has received international media attention from the likes of CBS News, SLAM, The Associated Press, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. During his conversation, he described his presentation to the United Nations and his proposal in his book, that led to the passing of "World Basketball Day," to be celebrated annually on December 21.
“We can’t thank Professor Hollander enough for all of his hard work in helping make ‘World Basketball Day’ a reality,” explained Doleva. “As part of that day, we will announce our class of 2024 for this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement celebration. It will be a day to celebrate the game and the impact it has on our communities. And it all started with the connections that basketball has to the YMCA, Springfield College, and of course Dr. Naismith.”
During his chat, Hollander led attendees through a philosophy that showcases how basketball can help make communities better, based on values inherent to the sport of basketball, such as inclusion and the balancing of individual success with the needs of the collective.
“In basketball, players aren’t siloed into just one position or responsibility,” added Hollander. “In life, we can learn to be more adaptive to the challenges we face by embracing a positionless mindset.”
Hollander went into describing human alchemy, and describing team alchemy means the creation of something totally new, a team far greater than the sum of its parts.
“Basketball offers players a critical space to feel safe, free, and expressive,” described Hollander. “Fostering similar spaces in the real world can encourage people to be their best, happiest, and most productive selves.”
Following Hollander’s guiding principles, basketball can be the catalyst in transcending us into solving some of our 21st century problems, and allow us all to live in a more peaceful and inclusive world.
“Basketball is about defying gravity, becoming weightless, and flying higher than anyone ever has before,” described Hollander. “By seeking out this principle, we can elevate ourselves, and those around us, to a new plane of experience.”
For his efforts, Hollander was a recipient of New York University’s (NYU) highest faculty honor, the 2019 NYU Distinguished Teaching Award. He's also been recognized with the highest NYU School of Professional Studies Honors: Award for Teaching Excellence (2018, 2012) and Award for Outstanding Service (2021, 2016). He was the only full-time faculty member to win either award twice. Hollander's signature innovative experiential program, Real World, is one of the most popular programs at NYU, partnering with 45 A-list organizations like Nike, Porsche, JetBlue, Ace Hotel, and Samsung.
