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That's awesome! Great memories!

My dad is solely responsible for my outsized fanaticism over ISU basketball. I remember not wanting to go to my first game, which was the opening game of the 76-77 season. He plied my little mind with, "You know Larry is going to be playing. He really wants you to be there. You don't want to disappoint him, do you?" You see, my dad got to know Larry as a result of working at ISU. And the rest is history.

He's 87 now, and still goes to the games with me. Wouldn't have it any other way!
 
My dad had finger nail polish on the radio dial for the ISU games. And we had very poor reception where we lived.

I remember how upset he was when I came home and told him that our FR team beat the varsity in a public scrimmage. He thought the team was going to be good that year. I guess that's where I get my Pollyanna attitude.
 
My dad's contribution was Reds baseball fandom. That's really the only thing we've ever had in common.
 
My older brother and myself attended ISU, at different times. His era spanned the Renn/Menser era, and mine spanned the Odum era. My dad has lived in the area for 10+ years now, and on occasion would catch a game (though he has attended several last season and this season). However, going on a couple years, I've begun to go 'all-out' for his late January birthday celebration. I purchase 12-15 tickets (upper-bowl) in October for a game around his birthday, invite him, family, and some of his friends, and pay for his and his wife's (my mother) pre or post game meal. For his birthday celebration this year we cheered as ISU beat Bradley in overtime. Great times/memories, and hope to add many more. My wallet is always thinner afterwards, but completely worth it, money well spent. :)
 
My dad is wildly responsible for my Sycamore fandom since birth (thanks dad, I love random weeknights getting ruined over the last however many years 🤣)

Lots of amazing memories, but I’ll never forget being chased around the Enterprise Center in 2011 by a Nazi usher as we kept sneaking into better seats for our championship win. Gooood times!
 

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No real basketball content here...

My dad grew up fatherless during the depression. His dad died when he was 2, his "little brother" was 1, and his mother was an uneducated domestic. No one could afford to hire a domestic in Southern Indiana during the depression. On top of that, her brother basically swindled her out of most of her possessions, leaving them homeless and penniless.

My dad never told me too many stories about the poor part of growing up when I was a kid. Most stories were "little rascals" like shenanigans of childhood.

When I was older, he'd occasionally tell me things...I liken it to a war veteran who's seen some bad stuff...they usually don't talk about it much in my experiences. He told me he never had a toy growing up until around age 6 or 7 someone gave him and his little brother a broken toy truck with no wheels on it. The only Christmas tree they ever had was one the teacher let them take home on the last day of school before Christmas. Various people let them live in a spare room or barn. Once, a black sharecropper in Patoka let them sleep on their dirt floor.

He said he remembered the lunch bell ringing and he and his little brother walking to the house of whatever neighbor was letting them sleep in their garage. They played tag or some such game until the school tardy bell began ringing to let kids know there was 5 minutes until class resumed. He said he went into the house of the folks that let them stay, stuck his finger in the skillet and took the grease on his finger and wiped it around his little brothers mouth so kids wouldn't tease him because they didn't have anything to eat. He grew up to be class president his Senior year.

Working for Greyhound for 42 years, he would wait for the bus that had the payroll on it every other Thursday. He would immediately deposit/cash his check and drive to pay every bill in person, because NO ONE was going to ever say he didn't pay his bills.

After moving my things into the dorm at STATE in 1982, I stood outside my folks car next to Rhoads Hall on 4th Street as they prepared to leave. My dad told me, "Your mom and I have paid for your room and board for your first semester. You are welcome home on weekends, holidays...any time you want to visit. You are welcome to come home over the summer. But, if you want to make it in college and beyond, you need to figure out how to make your own way". My mom bawled like a baby (not because of the convo).

Best thing anyone has EVER done for me. I did make it. 1oo% of my education was self funded. I made my own way in the world and chose my own path. I earned everything I got off of the sweat of my brow thanks to the lessons he taught me and because I wanted to try to be a man like him and make him proud.

At his funeral, men from 7 states came to pay their respects. I pray I'm 1/4th the man he was.

Apologies for hijacking the thread.
 
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CoachShipp said:
No real basketball content here...

My dad grew up fatherless during the depression. His dad died when he was 2, his "little brother" was 1, and his mother was an uneducated domestic. No one could afford to hire a domestic in Southern Indiana during the depression. On top of that, her brother basically swindled her out of most of her possessions, leaving them homeless and penniless.

My dad never told me too many stories about the poor part of growing up when I was a kid. Most stories were "little rascals" like shenanigans of childhood.

When I was older, he'd occasionally tell me things...I liken it to a war veteran who's seen some bad stuff...they usually don't talk about it much in my experiences. He told me he never had a toy growing up until around age 6 or 7 someone gave him and his little brother a broken toy truck with no wheels on it. The only Christmas tree they ever had was one the teacher let them take home on the last day of school before Christmas. Various people let them live in a spare room or barn. Once, a black sharecropper in Patoka let them sleep on their dirt floor.

He said he remembered the lunch bell ringing and he and his little brother walking to the house of whatever neighbor was letting them sleep in their garage. They played tag or some such game until the school tardy bell began ringing to let kids now there was 5 minutes until class resumed. He said he went into the house of the folks that let them stay, stuck his finger in the skillet and took the grease on his finger and wiped it around his little brothers mouth so kids wouldn't tease him because they didn't have anything to eat. He grew up to be class president his Senior year.

Working for Greyhound for 42 years, he would wait for the bus that had the payroll on it every other Thursday. He would immediately deposit/cash his check and drive to pay every bill in person, because NO ONE was going to ever say he didn't pay his bills.

After moving my things into the dorm at STATE in 1982, I stood outside my folks car next to Rhoads Hall on 4th Street as they prepared to leave. My dad told me, "Your mom and I have paid for your room and board for your first semester. You are welcome home on weekends, holidays...any time you want to visit. You are welcome to come home over the summer. But, if you want to make it in college and beyond, you need to figure out how to make your own way". My mom bawled like a baby (not because of the convo).

Best thing anyone has EVER done for me. I did make it. 1oo% of my education was self funded. I made my own way in the world and chose my own path. I earned everything I got off of the sweat of my brow thanks to the lessons he taught me and because I wanted to try to be a man like him and make him proud.

At his funeral, men from 7 states came to pay their respects. I pray I'm 1/4th the man he was.

Apologies for hijacking the thread.
Click to expand...
I'm not crying, you're crying. That's an awesome story.
 
sycamore tuff said:
Today marks 98 years since my dad was born. He was a farmer, IU cop, salesman, husband and father. He took me to my first basketball game . It was in the old fieldhouse east of assembly hall at IU. I mostly remember eating popcorn 🍿 Happy birthday 🎉🎂

Tell about your dad's if you would like.
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This is a great thread, tuff! Thanks for starting it!!!
 
CoachShipp said:
No real basketball content here...

My dad grew up fatherless during the depression. His dad died when he was 2, his "little brother" was 1, and his mother was an uneducated domestic. No one could afford to hire a domestic in Southern Indiana during the depression. On top of that, her brother basically swindled her out of most of her possessions, leaving them homeless and penniless.

My dad never told me too many stories about the poor part of growing up when I was a kid. Most stories were "little rascals" like shenanigans of childhood.

When I was older, he'd occasionally tell me things...I liken it to a war veteran who's seen some bad stuff...they usually don't talk about it much in my experiences. He told me he never had a toy growing up until around age 6 or 7 someone gave him and his little brother a broken toy truck with no wheels on it. The only Christmas tree they ever had was one the teacher let them take home on the last day of school before Christmas. Various people let them live in a spare room or barn. Once, a black sharecropper in Patoka let them sleep on their dirt floor.

He said he remembered the lunch bell ringing and he and his little brother walking to the house of whatever neighbor was letting them sleep in their garage. They played tag or some such game until the school tardy bell began ringing to let kids now there was 5 minutes until class resumed. He said he went into the house of the folks that let them stay, stuck his finger in the skillet and took the grease on his finger and wiped it around his little brothers mouth so kids wouldn't tease him because they didn't have anything to eat. He grew up to be class president his Senior year.

Working for Greyhound for 42 years, he would wait for the bus that had the payroll on it every other Thursday. He would immediately deposit/cash his check and drive to pay every bill in person, because NO ONE was going to ever say he didn't pay his bills.

After moving my things into the dorm at STATE in 1982, I stood outside my folks car next to Rhoads Hall on 4th Street as they prepared to leave. My dad told me, "Your mom and I have paid for your room and board for your first semester. You are welcome home on weekends, holidays...any time you want to visit. You are welcome to come home over the summer. But, if you want to make it in college and beyond, you need to figure out how to make your own way". My mom bawled like a baby (not because of the convo).

Best thing anyone has EVER done for me. I did make it. 1oo% of my education was self funded. I made my own way in the world and chose my own path. I earned everything I got off of the sweat of my brow thanks to the lessons he taught me and because I wanted to try to be a man like him and make him proud.

At his funeral, men from 7 states came to pay their respects. I pray I'm 1/4th the man he was.

Apologies for hijacking the thread.
Click to expand...
Very good story. I bet you are that man.
 

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Fun to read these - good thread. Since my dad reads the forum on occasion I can't say what I really want to say...

My dad just retired at the start of the year after a long career in the construction industry where he did quite well to provide for our family. I can't really talk ball and Indiana State ball without mentioning both of my parents though - they bought season tickets when I was around 10 years old (give or take a few years) so 1996'ish. I can't recall missing many games in my life from 96 on. When we weren't at Indiana State games I was playing AAU ball traveling around the state - I can always remember growing up my mom would make me dribble around the neighborhood with my left hand and she would guard my right hand so I couldn't get lazy and cross over to my dominant right hand. Ball was life - I went to camps, had a flood light for the driveway, had the Nike Shox's when they came out (still couldn't touch foam). 🤣 I had a lot of really good and impactful coaches over the years in all sports not just basketball - my dad always stayed out of the way and let me fail, if I wasn't getting the playing time I wanted he pushed me to win every loose ball, play hard on defense, win every wind sprint, work harder outside of practice - it was never pointing the finger at a coach or the system as an excuse.

Unfortunately, basketball wasn't in the cards for me - I made the JV team my junior year at Terre Haute South and quit the day after tryouts. I went into tryouts telling myself if you don't make the Varsity team you need to hang it up and focus on Track. Most of the guys that made that varsity team my junior year I had grown up playing AAU with - I thought I belonged and the Rady's didn't. In hindsight it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I saw Rady Jr at Jimmy Smith (a man who was basically a second father to me) funeral a few months back and reminded him that I should have made the Varsity team - we shared a good laugh over it.

Fast forward, a few years and both my parents were traveling all across the country to watch my sister and I run Track for Indiana State the school they graduated from and the school we grew up cheering for. I can't recall them missing many meets over the years - maybe a couple out in Iowa. It was nice to be able to be on the same team as my younger sister and made it pretty convenient for my parents to cheer us on.

I still live with my parents today... In the basement!

Not really - but I did move my family into the same neighborhood I grew up in about 5 houses down from my parents just a few years ago. It's been nice to be close to them while my wife and I attempt to raise 2 young kids. My dad and mom have done everything possible to give me and my sister the best chance to succeed in life - they instilled great values and work ethic in both of us. I think like @CoachShipp said above, I hope I'm 1/4 the man and father he has been.

Thanks for letting me share.
 
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Great thread!

Let's see here, my dad is 77 and thankfully still with us today. He's been in the insurance business for over 50 years with State Farm. My dad was never really a sports fan but knew I was so as a kid he would take me to several Purdue (he was a alum) and Reds games. That fueled my love for the Reds and Boilers as a young one. I still love my beloved Redlegs but got hooked on ISU sports when I turned 16 and realized that hey I cam drive 20 minutes to see D1 hoops and baseball! Still follow Purdue but my heart belongs to the Sycamores! I thank my dad daily that he took me to games as a kid even though he could have cared less about sports. If I can be a quarter of the dad mine was then my kids will be just fine.
 
Bobbyk60 said:
Very good story. I bet you are that man.
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What’s awesome about your story, is how he continued to battle to keep his family together. That battle gets my respect. Been thinking about that post for 2 days.
I go through it running a business making payroll. I get it.
 

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My Dad attended ISU and played football for ISU in 1938-9 season. He had three jobs to support himself while in Terre Haute. There were no scholarships in those days, but he said the coach would arrange jobs for the players. The only job I recall him talking about is being an elevator operator in town. He also said that there was so much coal being burned in town, he would wake up with coal stain around his mouth. He went broke after one year and left school.
 

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