It’s not too often that I review autobiographies (although that’s one of my go-to genres), and certainly not when it comes to sports, but I simply found Power Forward inspirational (and it wasn’t basketball that scored points for me). Dean Tolson’s journey from a difficult childhood, to an illiterate NBA player in college to becoming keynote speaker covers the court and is a slam dunk.
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Dean Tolson reached out to me last year asking if I would like to review his book, Power Forward: My Journey from Illiterate NBA Player to Magna Cum Laude Master’s Degree. I received a digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Why I was Drawn to Dean’s Life
You may not know that before I left Canada for Japan (and later, Northern Ireland), I was admin assistant to the Director of Inter-University Sports at the U of Regina. I also currently volunteer as an ESL teacher, so this book piqued my interest.
One of the tasks in my job each week was to ensure all 200+ athletes were enrolled in at least the minimum number of classes, and at the end of each semester, I needed to verify that they had the minimum grade to continue to play. This wasn’t just passing a class, but achieving at least 70%, if I recall. Student athletes in Canada need to be better than average in their academics, as well as at sport.
I had heard about cases in the States where student athletes were passed along, just so they could stay on the team. I can say I never saw that in Canada, or at least in my university. In fact, I did on one occasion, need to alert the director that a student had not reached the minimum requirements on a course and the player could not play the next semester.
Of course, Dean’s college experience was about 20 years before mine, but we all know that strings are still being pulled in some cases (Operation Varsity in 2019 comes to mind) .
Illiterate NBA Player
Dean’s autobiography travels through his life, which was turbulent, having been sent to an orphanage as a child in Missouri, when his mother was unable to afford to care for him, and some of his siblings. Understandably, this had a lasting impression upon him. To balance this out, he also had some very positive experiences in his youth, such as meeting basketball players and having teachers who did see his potential.
He knew from a young age that he wanted to be a b-ball player, and spent all his free time practicing, even when others didn’t believe in him. Growing up in the inner city, this obsession helped him avoid drugs, gangs, and violence, which were always lurking in the background.
Dean would find out as an adult, that he was dyslexic, but his teachers didn’t recognise it at the time and although he was illiterate, they kept moving him up grade by grade through school. He excelled at high school b-ball and gained a full scholarship to university (despite not being able to pass a test on his own).
After uni, Dean played basketball internationally and then grew a successful business, but lost everything (more than once) due to injuries, accidents, and the resulting health and mind issues (I don’t want to give away too much here).
At this point, Dean decided he wanted to go for broke and graduate from uni through his own academic abilities. He re-enrolled and retook every course for his four-year degree. He didn’t do this alone; he had the help of his coach and a spectacular tutor who understood his learning difficulties and worked with him to achieve his goals.
Dean not only received a bachelor’s degree, but went on to achieve Magna Cum Laude in his Master’s Degree at the age of 57 – and only about 1% of people in the USA have this distinction.
Since that time, he has been travelling as a public speaker, inspiring countless young (and old) people to go for their dreams. He’s living proof it can be done, though it isn’t easy.
Sacrifices Made
Although Dean achieved his goal of gaining a good education, it was not without sacrifice. He hasn’t married nor had children. In addition to that, he sacrificed his pride on many occasions, which we all know is very difficult to do. Perhaps if we all were more vulnerable, we too, would have greater success.
A Lesson in Character Skills
As I made notes while reading Power Forward, I noted some lessons that Dean had learned along the way and applied to become the man he is:
- He takes pride in his work, but he also asks for help when he needs it, to do even better.
- He knows when opportunity is knocking and invites it in.
- He knows when it’s time to quit or change direction.
- He’s an inspiration to others.
- He’s dedicated to get top results in whatever he is doing.
- He has a positive outlook.
Lingering Questions
After reading this book, I am left with some questions for consideration:
- Why is this still happening 50 years on?
- What can be done to change the system?
- Why is this so prolific in the USA?
- How can society reduce the stigma around illiteracy?
- Remember that illiterate individuals must be very clever to get through life.
- Why is it more important to keep children with their age groups than to concentrate on helping kids improve? I’ve only seen volunteers help adults with literacy, not programs set up for children. This should also happen at the first signs of needing help (grades 1-2). Paid tutors for kids only help those with means, not those who need help the most to be successful in life.
Conclusion
I really enjoyed this book, and although I do enjoy autobiographies, I don’t often lean towards sports personalities. However, because of my employment and volunteering backgrounds, I was soon drawn in and read into the night on several occasions. I am adding this to our homeschool read aloud so my teens will also be inspired.
Where to Purchase Power Forward
If you’re interested in purchasing Power Forward, it’s available through:
- Amazon
- Great bookstores near you
Connect with Dean Tolson:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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