Book of the Week: "Help Them Up" by Dan Horwitz

There are two institutions I've talked about numerous times in posts: Harvard and Newbury. I’ve said it before, at first glance, they appear to have nothing in common, but going deeper one realizes they actually are more alike than they are different. 

The one major thing that ties them together is: “it’s about the people.” And one of those people is Dan Horwitz. 

I first met Dan when he was a freshman in the fall of 2013. A 5-foot, 7-inch guard, youngest of five from West Hartford, Connecticut, his passion for basketball was radiant, despite being undersized. He constantly wanted to learn and pick the brains of his coaches, while being the consummate teammate. He is an encourager and his unshakable positive attitude is so infectious that you want to be around him and when you are you feel better about everything. 

He was also a work-study student and chose to complete his hours with athletics. Anyone familiar with Division III athletics knows we rely heavily on our work-study students to assist with all things from court/field set-up to statistical inputting. At the time, one of my top student workers was a junior and primarily worked in the winter and spring, for hour purposes, so I was looking for someone to be him in the fall. 

This is where Dan stepped in. Just as the exceptional teammate he was on the basketball court, he brought those same qualities to his work study job – doing whatever was necessary to help us out. It was not overlooked in my eyes, or in the eyes of our athletic director. 

HORWITZ TWINS: Ben (left) and Dan (right)

Come March it is quite common for Division I communications departments in the area to reach out their Division III counterparts requesting volunteers. Most of the time these schools have been asked to host rounds of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball tournament. That was exactly the case when Providence was hosting the first two rounds of the 2016 tournament. I knew how passionate Dan was about basketball and I also knew his twin brother, Ben, who was a manager with the Syracuse men’s basketball team, was equally as passionate. This was a perfect opportunity for the two of them. 

Back in May, the YouTube sensation Dude Perfect premiered its official documentary and Tyler Toney mentioned that he never met a pair of twins that loved being twins more than Coby and Cory Cotton. Sorry to tell you Tyler, but Ben and Dan Horwitz have you beat. Ben and Dan have been together their entire lives (minus those 60 minutes Ben was alone before Dan entered the scene) and do everything together. They are best friends and love being twins. So anytime Dan was presented with an opportunity to do something cool like work a big event he dragged Ben along. 

NIGHTHAWKS: Dan Horwitz '17 (left) &
Dan Lumb '15 (right)

Attending all these major events gave Dan the opportunity to witness how championship teams such as the 2018 Villanova men’s basketball team composed themselves on the court, on the bench, and in practice. He saw first-hand the different coaching styles of coaches like West Virginia’s Bob Huggins and Texas Tech's Chris Beard. 

He mentions in his book the 2019 Ivy League Championship Game in his home state of Connecticut. Getting the opportunity to volunteer at Ivy Madness, he witnessed the team camaraderie of the Bulldogs that extended to all members of the staff, not just the players. It was the championship culture that helped lift Yale over, rival, Harvard for its seventh Ivy crown. 

(Editor's note, I don’t think anyone who reads this blog will understand exactly how difficult it was for me to write that last sentence. BTW, during 2019-20 the Crimson got the best of the Bulldogs in its two regular season meetings. #GoCrimson)

Dan’s book “Help Them Up” is not just a book for basketball players and coaches, but for everyone on how to live your life. Take advantage of all the opportunities you can because you never know where they are going to lead you. It is how Dan lives his life. 

If you're a coach, a player of any age, or just a pure sports fan that wants to know how championship teams are built, order your copy at Amazon.com or click on the image on the right-hand side of the page. Be sure to leave a review when you're done reading it.