As a family, most family outings are spent together. Whether it be indoors or outdoors, they are moments that are cherished and always memorable. Especially in sports, where you can spend time watching a game or participating in one, there is much quality time to be spent alongside your family.
For the Monson family, those times were and still are spent together on the basketball court. Now, Dan Monson, head coach for Long Beach State men’s basketball team, will have both his sons in close vicinity. One of his sons is on the team while the other is joining him as a graduate assistant coach.
MicGuire Monson, Dan Monson’s oldest son, spent time with his dad as a court kid when he was five years old. He helped wipe down the floors and handed out towels to the players at Long Beach State after doing the same thing at the University of Minnesota, where Dan Monson coached from 1999 to 2006.
He always wanted to work alongside his father and will do so this upcoming season, saying that it’s something not many people get to do and is “really, really special” for him.
This past July, MicGuire Monson graduated from Boise State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and will join his dad on the bench as a graduate assistant coach. He’ll be responsible for helping out the coaching staff with tasks and contribute his knowledge from what he’s learned from being an assistant coach from Boise State.
The graduate assistant coach followed the footsteps of his mother who also graduated with a degree in psychology. His father gave him an idea, if he was going to be around basketball players, he could also use his degree to help them mentally on the court because it’s important to have a clear mind to concentrate on the games.
He’s always looked up to his father who has always been a mentor to him, and said he is “someone he hopes to be one day.”
Dan’s younger son, Maddox Monson, who is in his first year at Long Beach State as a kinesiology major, is joining the basketball team as a walk-on. He remembers having the ball in his hands at a young age and participated in practices with the Long Beach State basketball team in the last four years.
“It’s always been a dream of mine, having the opportunity to play for my father,” Maddox Monson said.
Having both his father and older brother there on his side, Maddox Monson feels like it will only benefit him more and move him in the right direction.
Having fond memories of Maddox Monson, whether it was about his appearance when he was growing up or being competitive at whatever they played, MicGuire Monson feels happy to see his brothers growth as a player throughout the years and is now on the basketball team.
The word “special” is what Dan Monson describes his feelings on both of his sons on the team, as spending time together is special for him as a father and having the opportunity to share it at Long Beach as members of the basketball team is significant.
“They’ve grown up with the (LBSU) program, they’ve gone through the highs and lows as student athletes and grad coaches,” Dan Monson said. “I’ve been on that bench for all those years and now they’ll be sitting one seat different.”
Though there could be few that may attribute this to nepotism, Dan Monson knows since Maddox Monson is a walk-on player and MicGuire Monson volunteered as a graduate assistant, they are dedicating their time and their experience to the team.
“They love Long Beach State and they love this program and to me, that overrides anything anybody else says,” Dan Monson said.
Spending time together is what they normally did when they were younger, whether it was watching games like basketball and football or playing golf, the three will soon take the court when they go up against Biola University in an exhibition game on Oct. 21.