Alan Babbitt [00:00:04] Welcome to the Hope College Athletics Orange Blue Podcast. My name is Alan Babbitt, I'm the sports information director here at Hope College. I'll love to come to you with this podcast to meet some of the people here at Hope College that make Hope Athletics special whether it's coaches, support staff and our student athletes as well, and thrilled to be joined today by two members, two key members and two captain co-captains on the Hope College men's basketball team getting ready this week to play in the main tournament for a chance to go to the NCAA tournament here with Clayton Dykhouse and Evan Thomas, juniors for the Flying Dutchman, Both have had sensational seasons so far. Welcome to the Orange and Blue Podcast, Evan and Clayton.
Evan Thomas [00:00:49] Thank you. Thank you for having us.
Alan Babbitt [00:00:52] Let's first get to a little bit know about you. Obviously Hope fans get to see you on the court. Clayton, a point guard and Evan kind of guard forward all over the court as well. First, let's start with you, Clayton. You are a health and physical education major here at Hope. Talk about, first, your experience as a student. What do you what have you learned so far at Hope and enjoyed about the experience? And what are you hoping to use that once your playing days are done? Thankfully, not for a little while yet.
Clayton Dykhouse [00:01:25] It's been. It's been great. I've been really fortunate with amazing professors. Then just a whole bunch of resources that have really kind of helped me navigate what I want to do in the educational field. I came in as a freshman and I wanted to be a teacher and kind of figuring out what subject area would be best for me to teach, how to go about it and then having former teachers come into the education program and really just. Kind of give me nuggets of information that I was able to use and kind of form my own path about how I want to go about my time here at Hope well, when the education department and then after hope I would I would love to. I'm going to be K-12 certified, so I would love to teach elementary how to be. Location, I'm still not sure about where, but just, impacting kids, especially kids at a younger age, I think that'd be something that I would I would love to do.
Alan Babbitt [00:02:22] Evan, for you, a biology major, what talk about your educational pursuits at Hope and what you're hoping to do with that in your future?
Evan Thomas [00:02:31] It's been great so far. I came into Hope knowing I wanted to go into the sciences. I'm not sure exactly what. So now I've said I'm on the pre-med track here at Hope. I'm a pre-med bio major. Post-Hope, I'm looking to go to medical school taking MCAT this spring. Yeah. And hoping to go to medical school. Don't know where yet, but I don't know what. Like, I don't know my top schools, but we'll figure that out.
Alan Babbitt [00:03:02] What has it meant to you to be a student athlete here at Hope and a member of this basketball program?
Clayton Dykhouse [00:03:11] Oh, it's been great. I mean, I grew up in Zeeland, so watching when some great Hope teams. Being a part of it as a fan, there's a little kid in and around DeVos and then getting there without having the opportunity to play and put on the orange and blue has been exciting. I mean, It's challenging, and it's something that I've really been looking forward to and kind of taking on that challenge more excited, along side Evan and Ty (George), being leaders and being captains on a team that has really high goals and aspirations, but know it's something that I'm really fortunate to be able to to get to do.
Alan Babbitt [00:03:50] For you, Evan,
Evan Thomas [00:03:52] I agree, being a student athlete here, it's kind of all the support we get and Hope;s kind of find the perfect place to play Division III basketball. You're not swamped with athletic commitments all the time. You can really focus your efforts into into the classroom, into your studies and learn and grow academically. But then also every day being able to compete with a team that's like, Clay said, trying to win championships at a high competitive level. It's kind of the best of both worlds.
Alan Babbitt [00:04:27] HA basketball always been your number one games. Or how did your journey with basketball start?
Clayton Dykhouse [00:04:37] I started playing I think organized basketball started at third grade. MY my dad would always take me and we would go shoot, shoot hoops in the park across from my house or I had a mini basketball hoop. I remember growing up in our house. I've always loved it. I've always loved just getting better and competing. And the team aspect of it, I think, is really big. Just the collective goal of trying to win games and improved a lot during the season is something that I've always really enjoyed.
Evan Thomas [00:05:16] For me, I never really took basketball that serious until high school, I was basketball, baseball, soccer we're kind of my three sports and my favorite sport was whatever it was in season kind of all grown up. I never really like solely focused on basketball until high school. I kind of decided, I think like basketball's where I have the most fun basketball is where I think I have the most potential. And so that's kind of what I focus on specialize.
Alan Babbitt [00:05:50] For both of you, what have you learned from the game of basketball itself that's helped your development beyond just your skill set, but just as young men?
Clayton Dykhouse [00:06:03] I would say through my work ethic, kind is everything. So in order to in order to improve on anything, you need to be able to commit yourself to something. The process of putting in effort every single day and then seeing those small steps just kind of build into whatever your goal is that's excelling in a classroom. That's friendships, relationships. And that's a new job. I think what I've learned in basketball is the ability to just have a consistent work ethic is something that's paid off in so many different avenues of my life, and I've seen that in the past couple of years as a student teaching approaches and education classes maybe get a little bit more challenging. Having that same consistent approach of showing up every day with, I could enjoy a smile of just continuing to have that privilege of being able to do and get better at certain aspects of just everything.
Alan Babbitt [00:07:05] Evan, how have you learned? What have you learned from the game?
Evan Thomas [00:07:07] I think for me, it's like teamwork and communication. I think throughout my basketball career, I've been on teams that aren't really cohesive and working together and then teams that are equally opposite. And it's like one complete unit and we all communicate greatly. I think kind of just for me individually, just communication has been a big part of being able to work with other people who may share different, different beliefs or different mindsets or different perspectives on the problem at hand and kind of being able to form a team and work all together towards one kind of collective goal.
Alan Babbitt [00:07:51] Basketball also brought you guys together as friends. I know you knew a little bit of each other from the AAU circuit, but, obviously these last three years, especially in some for lack of a better word, interesting times because of the pandemic. Talk about that friendship and how it's grown and kind of you know what each of you mean to each other right now?
Clayton Dykhouse [00:08:16] I mean, Evan is great, he is a great leader, is a phenomenal basketball player, but just the leadership steps that he's taken in these three years have been something that's really cool, at least for me, as well as his teammate and to kind of witness. I mean, he's one of our most vocal guys in situations where it's it's not easy to be vocal and maybe there's a lot of pressure or it's a big game or like it's tough practice, and he's one of those first guys to really as talented as he is, he's usually the first one is really voice what he feels that we need to be doing. And his voice is respected because he puts the time in and he's shown that he's really matured these past few years and being more comfortable calling guys out, going guys and maybe are older, calling guys out that are younger, that he sees potential in. And he's very adamant about what they're adamant about what needs to be done for us to be successful and he he believes in every single one of us and that makes when he calls us out or when he's holding us to that high standard, it's something that we all we all look forward to and we thrive in, I think.
Evan Thomas [00:09:32] I think our friendship has grown a ton and it's been so fun. I think it started just freshman year of being in the same dorm, right. Same dorm on the same floor, right across from each other. I mean, it was like every time I was coming class, Clay was in my room, so I'd open my door expecting an empty room and he'd be sitting there on the couch watching TV. So I think that was definitely that was definitely cool. Just being like proximity just right with each other. And then when we weren't in season, obviously we were living right together. But when you're in season, obviously we'd go from dorm to practice to workouts together all the time and kind of just being when we were freshmen, the real couple of underclassmen that were up on varsity, kind of young guys got to stick together. So we were always together working out with each other. Our first couple of years and now it's kind of led into a we're still living together now. It's been the past three years. I think we just keep getting closer and closer and it helps when we're backcourt mates battling every day together. So it's been fun.
Alan Babbitt [00:10:42] When you guys need a respite from basketball, obviously it's a long season and you're dealing with the rigors of classes as well. What do you guys do just to have fun? If it's not basketball related, obviously probably sit down and watch a few NBA and NCAA games too. But what do you guys if you just need an escape from basketball, what do you guys enjoy doing together?
Evan Thomas [00:11:06] Video games, definitely that, not so much Clay, but the rest of the guys in the house golf. Golf is still learning. We're still trying to get him to get him to go out and play golf with us. Oh, it's nice outside. The whole team, we all we all are going outside, playing golf, enjoying the weather, going to the beach. Video games, anything kind of just nice to take a break from basketball for a while. Just let the mind relax.
Alan Babbitt [00:11:38] OK, Clay. I've got to give you a chance to get some grief to him a little bit. I mean, I got to be fair here.
Clayton Dykhouse [00:11:48] Just hanging it out, spending time with each other, going out to eat together, going to the beach, like you said, you just kind of doing everything that lets a student at Hope would do. The weather's nice. It's really easy to get outside and play yard games or that is, enjoy each other's company. It doesn't. I don't think it really matters what we're doing. But a really special part about this team is that we've all kind of come together off the floor and spend time together, and I think it really shows and we're on the court together.
Alan Babbitt [00:12:25] Clay, this is your second year as a captain, Evan, your first. You guys work with senior Ty George to lead this basketball team with everything that's gone on both the pandemic and also some of the upheaval in the country. As a group, the challenges that come along with playing at a very high level as Division III student athletes and in the MIAA. What have you learned about leadership that you will take with you off the court as you go into the world as a teacher or Med School or wherever kind of the future take? What have you learned about leadership that from your experience here this season as co-captains for this basketball team?
Evan Thomas [00:13:07] I think one of the most important things is making everyone feel like their voices heard like they're important. I think just from seniors down to freshmen, I mean, if everyone feels like they have a say in what goes on or what they do really impacts the team, then I feel like our team is just better off. So I think kind of just as a leader and as a upperclassmen on the team, making sure everyone's involved throughout practice, whether it's just in like simple conversations or practice, or if it's outside of practice, going to grab lunch with someone or dinner with someone, I may normally not e with like an underclassmen or freshmen. So I think kind of just leadership. I've learned to just kind of be inclusive to everyone so we can all work together.
Clayton Dykhouse [00:14:01] Ev said it really good, just the connection is everything. I think that the connections that I've formed while being a underclassman with certain seniors who are in leadership positions like I still remember those and so I want to be able to pour that back. And when I was starting to give that back to the younger guys and then that also just everyone else on the team just making sure that during practice, outside of practice that ut's genuine and it's real. You care about that person, maybe outside of just what they can give for the 40 minutes when they're on the floor. If you are invested in them while word and shootaround and in practice and I think that really just. That connection allows for your voice when you want to voice your opinion as a leader and you want to hold people accountable. They know that you genuinely care. And that makes it that much easier and everyone trying to can get on board with what any one of our captains or upperclassmen are saying.
Alan Babbitt [00:15:06] As part of a captain obvious, you guys have to have a good relationship with the coaching staff, head coach Greg Mitchell and, assistants like Chad Carlson and Ken George and Tom Davelaar just talk about that relationship and what you've learned from them as not only as captains and as basketball players, but as men as well. As far as role models, what have you learned from and that you will take with you?
Evan Thomas [00:15:33] I definitely will. First, I think they're they're one of the easiest coaching sites I've ever had to talk to. I feel like in previous times, not that it's ever been bad, but Coach Mitch is like one of us, like like a young guy in an old man's body, you know? He's just great. Always an open door communication and anything baseball related, non-business related. You can go talk to him and he's ready to listen, ready to help you out. So I think that, first of all, it's establishing that relationship is super important because then when times get tough and it's stressful and you're working for a championship and things aren't going right, you know that kind of he has your back and the rest of the coaching staff has your back. So what I've learned from him, I say. Definitely just trust just how important trust is being able to when he's put in five guys on the court that are trying their best, knowing that it's OK to mess up, you know that it's OK, that he's still got your back and kind of just like relaying that on to teammates because then if the teammates mess up, you know that it's OK, like, I got your back, you're good. So I think having that trust throughout the whole team is really important to build a kind of community of guys who are working for each other.
Alan Babbitt [00:17:04] Clayton?
Clayton Dykhouse [00:17:07] To go along with that, just coach George, coach Davelaar and Coach Carlson are all extensions of what Ev just talked about.. in practice, they do so much work that's not seen that is behind the scenes and doesn't maybe get that the credit: watching film talking to us when coach Mitch has something like the big picture and he's coaching this up, then like they'll maybe come in and offer their like their basketball knowledge and their wisdom. And that's just something that I don't think can get understated because they do so much for our program and the relationships that they have, you can tell that they're very connected, like they understand what coach Mitch wants to see and they understand how to work with us and they do a great job kind of just overseeing all of that and maybe during practice when a lot of people aren't paying attention to what the citizens are doing. Just placing our trust in them and. Just as the whole coaching staff, they've they've done a really good job of connecting with all of our guys that starting five and. The guys that off the bench, and it doesn't really matter who or where you are on the team, as long as you're a part of this group of guys, your opinion matters and their coaching staff does a really good job of making sure everyone feels like that's how it is.
Alan Babbitt [00:18:41] I know part of your experience at Hope as well as student athletes as being part of our ACT-SAAC group, Athletes Coming Together and Student Athlete Advisory Council and with you guys in part involved with that. I know you're involved with the Diversity Inclusion Council as part of that group. Talk about that experience, what you guys do and and what that group tries to bring to campus.
Evan Thomas [00:19:10] This is both our second years in ACT-SAAC. The group as a whole is just bringing leaders, athletes from all different sports together to kind of have a group that can talk to higher up faculty about what athletes need, what students need kind of in community and what Clay and I are doing in the diversity and inclusion kind of efforts are just to create a conversation within athletes about diversity, inclusion, how Hope can be more acceptable, more inclusive to all different kinds of people, no matter where they come from. So it's been a lot of fun so far, just kind of creating conversations. We've had great speakers come in and talk to us and just learning and kind of just starting. Starting conversation to learn more about what diversity inclusion really means.
Alan Babbitt [00:20:10] Clayton.
Clayton Dykhouse [00:20:12] The connections that you can make that we've been able to make with other athletic teams and then higher-up faculty, as Ev mentioned just that coming together and sharing of ideas and that conversation piece of understanding that it's a challenging topic and it's something that we at Hope that we want to as a community, we want to improve upon and we want to become more accepting and everyone and just really just is looking for the answer how to best go about doing that, and that's something that our committee is kind of searching for. And now this semester, Ev and I were really excited to continue to build that and forward that conversation and involve other teams and other people and not just really help it spread across campus in a way that I think would be really effective, just for the college as a whole.
Alan Babbitt [00:21:12] You guys obviously both bring unique perspectives to that conversation. Evan, you have an African-American father and a white mother. Clayton, you were adopted by two white parents. Talk about that and how that is shaped you and helped you as you try to help these conversations that need to happen, that they continue to happen so that we can all learn from each other and and and treat each other better too.
Evan Thomas [00:21:40] I think it's been great. Just kind of growing up, having an African-American father and so an African-American side of my family and a white side of my family. It was always kind of fun to go. This weekend, we're going to my grandparents, my mom's side. This weekend, we're going to go see my cousins over here. So I think growing up it was a lot of fun and just I didn't really think much of it until I kind of grew up and realized, 'Oh, I'm kind of unique, like this is different. Not every kid kind of has this experience.' So I think what I've learned from it, I think it just allows me to be more accepting of all different people kind of coming from a family where they've seen different types of people on each side, my family. It's been really cool and allows me, just as I say, allows me to be a connector, a connector between different groups of people. So I think being biracial has been a real blessing for me, and I love it.
Clayton Dykhouse [00:22:45] As you as you said I was I was adopted when I was a baby. I've spent my entire life with white parents in a predominantly white community. And I think they did a great job of exposing me of me and my brother to just what it means to be black in America at a really young age. We would we spend our Sundays going to church in Grand Rapids. I played basketball at a younger age with teams out of inner city areas where. Being black was the majority of the roster of kids. And no, I was aware that I was a little different when I would maybe when I got to middle school and high school and understanding that like the way that I see the world. It's something that's unique and has been unique and I just think it's really cool that now that I'm at Hope, I'm able to provide that perspective for other kids. So I know a couple of home games ago there was a family that I had. I've gotten to know the dad a little bit, and he has two adopted sons, and after the game, they came up and they were talking to me. They were talking about Evan and me, T.J., and how cool it was to see someone in a position at Hope that looks like them and they're fourth and second grade boys recognizing that and just being that representation, like, I think that's something that. Having white parents allowed me to kind of step into and allow people to see that. Being a black African-American male is something that I am extremely proud of. And it's also something that I think young kids in this area, especially where it's not common to maybe see them in certain positions to see see people who look like them in certain positions. It's something that's really powerful. And I'm really excited and thankful that I get to represent a group of people with someone like Evan. No. It's been really great.
Alan Babbitt [00:25:09] And lastly, as we celebrate Black History Month, who is an African-America man or woman, someone that inspires you as you learn, maybe learn about him in school or someone in your your family. Is there someone that you, you know, would like to recognize and just in it and grateful for their contributions to whether your family or society?
Evan Thomas [00:25:33] Well, I have to say, my dad 100 percent, my dad just kind of from a young age, just kind of being the leader of the household, showing me how things should be done and showing me the correct way to go about living a life and treating people with respect and kind of setting the framework for my morals and what I believe is right. I think that's kind of led me to try to become that kind of leader that I feel like he was for our family. So overall, I just definitely my dad has been has been my role model throughout, throughout my childhood.
Clayton Dykhouse [00:26:15] I've been really fortunate to have a lot of solid African-American black role models in my life. One that sticks out to me. it's really kind of special is T.J.'s grandfather, T.J. McKenzie, number three, his grandfather Pops. I've known him since I was in sixth grade. I met him in sixth grade when I played AAU with T.J. and he's been someone who has always been positive. He's always been supportive, has always been encouraging. And then also is the first one to maybe get on me when I'm not doing. I'm not living up to his expectations for lack of a better word. But he still comes to our practices and he'll sit courtside at our games. And you make sure to say hi to me and talk to me and get to know me. And that's it. And he's gotten to know me over the course of these past few years. And that's been something that as a kid who doesn't have maybe African-American family like having having that older role model has been something that I really appreciated and I'm really thankful for.
Alan Babbitt [00:27:37] Well, thank you both. It's been a pleasure chatting with you, and we wish you guys the best this week in the tournament. But it's been fun to watch you guys grow as young men as well and leaders on campus. So thank you and good luck this week in the tournament.
Evan Thomas [00:27:52] Sir, thank you..
Clayton Dykhouse [00:27:53] Thank you. We appreciate it.
Evan Thomas [00:27:55] Thank you.
