This past Sunday, the former world-renowned professional basketball player Tamir Goodman visited the boys of TAL Academy. The students were mesmerized by Tamir’s stories of his youth as a child with dyslexia who found his place on the basketball court, learning that his weakness in reading came with an extra sense in seeing things on the court that others did not see. Still, his father, a”h, taught him that even in our greatest moments of success we must remember that all our talents come from Hashem.
Tamir shared with the boys how his hard work and dedication to practicing over and over again helped him succeed. He made a beautiful connection to the davening of the TAL boys he heard in the building prior to his talk. Tamir asked the boys why we daven the same tefilos every day. He explained that it is similar to the daily practice of a professional athlete that develops muscle memory, allowing him to play well even under pressure in front of large crowds.
The boys were also impressed when they heard that Tamir always wore his yarmulke and never once played on Shabbos throughout his career, even if it meant not playing in important championship games.
The highlight of the morning was when Tamir played basketball with the boys, giving them pointers and letting each one practice his shots. Tamir’s example of making a Kiddush Hashem using his talents is one the boys will remember for a long time to come.