Kenny Goins: Strength In Family
12/19/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Hanna Sprague, MSU Athletic Communications
Standing in Tom Izzo's office with shaking hands and wobbly knees, Kenny Goins looked to the man he had grown up idolizing. It was February of his senior year of high school, and not even Goins could have imagined what the next 10 months of his life would bring.
A native of Troy, Michigan, Goins had always dreamed of suiting up in the Green and White. Establishing an identity on the court and within his family, Goins proved that the dream had a chance.
Lacing up his shoes for the first time in kindergarten, Goins' years of church league basketball allowed him to excel as both a player and as a person alongside his father, Ken Goins. Church league has passed, but the lessons learned will always hold weight in his game.
"It's always harder when you're dad is the coach," said Goins, a freshman at MSU. "He would say, `I know you're good, you're athletic, you can score, but if you distribute the ball, get other people involved, and lead - that's something that can't be replaced with athleticism.'"
In time for the peak of his high school career, a late growth spurt brought Goins to a 6'6, 215-pound build. As a senior for Warren Mott, Goins averaged 21.1 points, 14.8 rebounds, and 4.8 blocks under head coach Jeff Olind.
Although his consistency on the court caught the eye of many division I programs, Goins describes that seeing his mom in the gym every week truly made the experience worthwhile.
"Since I was young, my mom has been in a wheelchair," said Goins. "She is physically handicapped. No matter what, I'll love her to death."
Laura Goins laid down on the couch one day with escalading symptoms of headaches. Fearing it could be something worse, Ken called for an ambulance.
"Next thing you know, they told me that I had a 15% chance of never seeing my mom again," said Goins. "That was probably one of the hardest blows to my family, but we got through it. We're still strong."
Laura's spinal chords had been twisted since birth. On that day, they flared, causing what was medically considered to be a stroke due to the damage it caused. Despite surgery, appointments, medication, and adapting to an entirely new way of life, she always kept her kids in the front of her mind.
"She's been to every basketball game since I was a freshman in high school," said Goins. "She never missed one, home or away. No matter what, she was there cheering me on. My dad would always accompany her, pushing her along."
Growing up, Kenny and his sister, who is now a student at Central Michigan University, aided their dad in helping to make life more accessible for their mom.
"He's probably the strongest man I know for what he does," said Goins. "He works two jobs, but he always told me that as long as you're supporting for your family, you're not above anything. You're not above doing any of the dirty work to provide."
Despite having to take time off of sports to adjust, Goins assures that he wouldn't do anything differently if given another chance.
"I guess I could sum it all up on senior night when I saw her," said Goins. "I was able to hand her the rose and badge. That was the highlight of my high school career because it brought me to where I wanted to be."
A football and basketball season ticket holder for nearly 30 years, Goins' uncle introduced him to what it means to be a Spartan.
"I've been a Spartan ever since I can remember," said Goins. "My mom and dad didn't really have a preference, so my uncle decided I would be a Spartan. I've been coming to games here since I was 6."
Before the 2013-14 football season kicked off, his uncle promised a trip to whichever bowl MSU would play in. This just so happened to be the year that MSU defeated Stanford in the Rose Bowl. The trip to Pasadena, California is a life-long memory for both nephew and uncle.
"The way Michigan State travels - I always knew it was strong, but at the Rose Bowl and my first few games here it was reinforced," said Goins. "You can really feel the bond for Spartan Nation."
At time of the trip, Goins had yet to make contact with the basketball coaching staff, yet he joked that Spartan fans in Pasadena looked at him as if he was already a Michigan State athlete.
"People would stare at me as if I was a player," said Goins. "We walked into a restaurant and this whole table turned and stared at me, and I just kind of waved at them and laughed."
A few months after celebrating the victory, Goins received a phone call from non-other than MSU head coach Tom Izzo. He invited Goins to a game at the Breslin Center, and planned to talk regarding his future on the court at Michigan State.
"I brought my entire family on the visit that I took here," said Goins. "I came to the Nebraska game that they lost. It was obviously not the best situation around here, but, even after a loss, Izzo was smiling and talking to me. He's a great guy."
Despite scholarship offers from other Division I programs, Goins made the decision to continue his career as a preferred walk-on at MSU.
"It's hard to say no to Tom Izzo," said Goins. "He's the guy you grew up watching as if he was not human, he was the next level. It's hard to say no to that."
From the starting five to the walk-ons, the Spartans have a history of making each newcomer feel at home. Whether they're laughing in the locker room, or pushing each other to better themselves at practice, Goins feels that he's exactly where he's supposed to be.
"I've never been on a closer team than here," said Goins. "I couldn't ask to come in with a better group of guys, either. Marv [Marvin Clark], Tum Tum [Nairn], and JB [Javon Bess]; they're all great teammates and roommates."
Putting on his uniform for the first time was an emotional experience for Goins.
"It was magical," said Goins, who wears number 25. "I was just in awe to see my name in Green and White. How many times I'd dreamt of it and thought of it as a little kid, now that it's actually happening I still can't even believe it."
A childhood dream that surpassed all odds in the face of adversity, Goins is proud of where he came from and excited about where he's headed. With his biological family still making the trips to games and his Spartan family supporting him throughout his first collegiate season, Goins can't imagine where he'd be without their encouragement.
"To me, family is everything," said Goins. "They are the roots and everything that holds me together as a person. My family has been more than supportive throughout the entire journey."
