Since retiring from playing professional basketball in 2009, Tamir Goodman, known as the “Jewish Jordan,” has been steadily on the go. Tamir and his wife, Judy, have four kids, founded the non-profit Coolanu Israel, and co-wrote The Jewish Jordan’s Triple Threat together. Individually, Tamir created Sport Strings Tzitzit and partners in the Omri Casspi Basketball Camps, and Judy works for various companies–as well as writes, runs, and cooks.
I got to chat with the couple about playing sports with their kids, writing a book together, and their day-to-day life as parents.
Tamir, what do you miss most about playing professionally?
I
was fortunate to live out my dream of playing Division I college and
professional basketball without playing on Shabbat. I played until
injuries prevented me from physically being able to compete anymore. I
love the game and I definitely miss playing it, but I never played just
for the love of the game; I always played for the larger purpose of
representing Israel and Judaism on the court.Fortunately, I am able to continue this mission even after my playing days have ended through my Coolanu Israel basketball camps, clinics, development of my basketball products like sport Strings Tzitzit and Zone190, and my recently published book, The Jewish Jordan’s Triple Threat.
Do you ball with your kids? What sports are they into?
As a coach (Tamir) and soon-to-be certified personal trainer (Judy), we both recognize how important it is for kids to be active. With this in mind, we play lots of different sports–not just basketball. Some days we ride bikes, or play catch, or go to the playground. We even play sport games in the house when the weather is too cold to go outside.
Through our family routines, we try to expose our kids to different sports and encourage them to have fun being active, because if they enjoy what they are doing then it is more likely to become a life-long habit. In addition to helping kids stay healthy and happy, sports impart so many important values. Resilience, confidence, respect for others, teamwork, commitment, perseverance, and the value of a strong work ethic are all lessons that kids learn while running up and down the court or playing the field.
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