PUT LEARNING FIRST, CRAIG HODGES URGES PUPILS

His parents made him put books before basketball, and he's glad.

When professional basketball player Craig Hodges spoke at Indianapolis Public Schools' Back to School Rally in September, his intention was not to dismiss the typical athlete stereotype. Nor did he come as an egotistical star ready to sign autographs.

Rather, he came as a parent concerned about the downfall of education.

"You can never know too much, you can never study too much, and you never can read enough," said Hodges, who has two children, ages 7 and 8.

Hodges, a former Chicago Bulls guard, thinks students should hit the books before they hit the court.

"I think a lot of times we have our priorities mixed up," he said. "We think that if we're great athletes, then that will translate into being a good student further down the line."

Know other cultures

Hodges believes one way to reform education is by making students aware of other ethnic backgrounds around them.

"First of all, I would improve the history portion of it, because right now, when you look at the entire educational system, the reason we're having problems is because no one really knows who the person that's sitting next to them really is," Hodges said.

Hodges has practiced what he preaches. He says understanding his family history has helped shape the man he is today.

"I look at my life span linking to those slaves that came from Africa, and if I forget that, then that means that I've forgotten a part of my humanity."

While Hodges urges children to study their history books, he points out that those books often misrepresent the past.

"Now (with) the celebration of Christopher Columbus, we're honoring a person that was a slave trader. And these are certain facts that we don't know about Christopher Columbus that have to be studied in order for us to give our students the wherewithal to go forward and change the planet."

Pay teachers more

Hodges believes that increasing teachers' pay also will help improve the state of education.

"I think not enough emphasis is placed on our teachers, (because) you have people like myself who are athletes and entertainers making more money than people who would change the lives of a nation of people," he said.

Hodges implied that many college athletes would not leave school early to pursue a professional career if there wasn't so much money to be made in the field.

"It's almost ridiculous for you not to take a $2 million contract as opposed to staying in school and never knowing what could happen tomorrow," he said. "You could go out, break your leg and you'd never get that chance again."

For aspiring young athletes, Hodges advocates academics before athletics.

"First of all, be an aspiring student and study your basketball after you study your books," he said. "The thing that we have to understand is that the only way we can become professional athletes or whatever is to make sure that we hit our books so that folks can see us on each level."

Emphasis on education

Hodges attended school in Long Beach, Calif., where his family placed a strong emphasis on education. He said his parents would not allow him to compete in athletics without better-than-average grades.

He believes parents today should also take an active role in their children's schooling, instilling in their children the will to learn.

"I think that the parents have to be both leaders and listeners, in that we have to lead our children to get them to a certain point," he said. "But at the same time, we can't take our children by the hand."