Anthony Ianni: The First Division I Basketball Player Diagnosed with Autism
Anthony Ianni was diagnosed with autism as a child, and like many, his parents were given dire predictions about his future. Despite being told he wouldn’t achieve anything in life, Anthony followed in his family’s love of sports and went on to become the first-known Division I player on the spectrum. He shares the challenges he faced, the support he received from his family and coaches, and his current role as a school administrator. Anthony also discusses his advocacy efforts to create sensory-friendly spaces in college arenas.
Anthony Ianni: The First Division I Basketball Player Diagnosed with Autism
All Autism Talk
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Richie Ploesch
Hey Anthony, welcome to the show. Thanks for being here.
Anthony Ianni
Thanks, Richie. Thanks for having me.
Richie
Of I feel like we've got three parts to your story that I want to cover today. Kind of the past, the present, and the future. And I really want to start at the beginning. Tell us about you and how you kind of got to this moment.
Anthony
So I was diagnosed with autism when I was four years old. during that time, so that was like around 1993, Richie, and that was really during a time period where nobody really knew what autism was. Nobody really knew a lot of the characteristics for it. There was no awareness for it, no resources, pathways or guidance for families and individuals dealing with autism at that time. And also that was during the time of the ADD, error for a diagnosis. So that my diagnosis being on the spectrum was very, very rare.
Richie
Yeah.
Anthony
So a year later when I was five years old, a group of doctors and professionals told my parents that because I was on the autism spectrum, would basically won't achieve anything in my life. They told my family I would barely graduate from high school, never go to college, never be an athlete, and would likely end up at a group institution with others just like me for the rest of my life. Obviously, my parents did not listen to those doctors and experts. They told me at the beginning, around the beginning of my freshman year of high school about my diagnosis. that kind of became my motivation to kind of want to go out and prove not only those doctors and experts wrong, but kind of go out and prove to everybody that, know, and I can do this despite what you say about me. So I was very motivated. I had to work really hard at everything, whether it was sports, particularly basketball and school, especially because I'm not going to sit here and admit that, you know, I was a straight A student because I wasn't like I was, I was I really struggled in school was not a quick learner. Like I took things step by step, process by process. So I had to work really hard in the classroom, but along that way, I had an incredible support system. had a great, not just a great family support system, but I had incredible teachers. I had a school district that threw resources at me left and right to help me achieve to where I wanted to get to be. So I graduated from Okemos High School in the Lansing area, which is in Lansing, Michigan, and graduated from Okemos in 2007, where I then went on to Grand Valley State University for two years on a full-right scholarship for basketball. After two years, things just didn't quite work out for me, so I decided to leave Grand Valley State to achieve my ultimate lifelong goal, which was to play for coach Tom Bezzo and the Michigan State Spartans. So, went to Michigan State, was there for three years. I was a walk-on for two, was on a full-right scholarship my senior year.
Richie
Yeah.
Anthony
And not only did I get to graduate from Michigan State with a bachelor's degree in sociology, but during my time at Michigan State, I became the first known Division I college basketball player in NCAA history with an autism diagnosis. So it was definitely, definitely a long journey. A crazy one, if you will, but you know, I'm very, I'm very blessed to where I'm at today, but a lot of that is because of my village. And, you know, I tell families and individuals on the spectrum all the time, like it takes a village. It takes a village to help get you where you want to go in life. And I'm very grateful for that because without my village, like I don't think I would be sitting here talking to you today about, you know, the past, the present and the future.
Richie
You're sure. Yeah, that's so amazing. There are a couple things that you brought up in that in that synopsis that I want to highlight, right? And one is you said that your parents didn't tell you about your diagnosis until you were a freshman in high school, right? That must have been a really tough moment, both and decision for them, but also a tough moment for you as well. I mean, can you explain that time a little bit?
Anthony
Mm-hmm. Correct, yeah. It was because, you know, when I was in middle school, Richie, like I was in, so let me kind of take a couple of steps back a little bit. So I had a para-pro with me or an aid from kindergarten until I was in fifth grade. And then when I got to middle school, they got, they moved the para-pro away from me. and because I was in a resource room with other individuals, just like me and other students with learning disabilities as well. And, so, so. I kind of had an idea that, okay, like I'm in a, I'm in this classroom with individuals with different learning disabilities, different diagnosis, even those with autism. So I kind of had an idea that I had a learning disability. I just didn't know what it was. And so I, and so the night my parents told me, I remember this like it was just yesterday, I was sitting in our family den just by myself and anybody who knows me knows I'm a big avid Detroit sports fan. Like I love the lions. I love the red wings, the tigers and the pistons.
So I was watching a Tigers game and this is when the Tigers had like the worst season in baseball in a long time. Like they had, they had like 112 losses or whatever it was, but I didn't care. I was in that den. I called it my cave because like the older I got, that's, that's where I went. That's where I dinner. When I got older, it's where I watch TV. So it was kind of like my little getaway, if you will. So I'm watching the game, but then my dad called me into the living room and I'm like, okay. what did I do? Like I haven't done anything. I'm over the lawn today. I was he upset because I met my lines were straight like, okay, what's going on? But so I get in there, I sit down, I go, what's going on? I go, well, they my mom goes, well, we have something to tell you. I'm like, okay, go ahead. so they told me about my autism diagnosis. They told me about the meeting that took place when I was five. And, you know, for whatever reason, I think my parents kind of told me about my diagnosis because
Richie
Yeah. Uh-oh. Yeah.
Anthony
Number one, think they figured they figured I was old enough and I was going into my freshman year of high school and I think they were trying to find that that little that that fire that will just like something that will just let a fire in me and just let me go like to see where it takes me. And so they told me the story of the diagnosis. I remember just sitting there. My mom just kind of looked at me like, Do you have any questions? I'm like, No, like, I don't. This would explain why you know, I think of certain words that mean the same, but they mean the complete opposite. Or if somebody was joking with me, I would take it too seriously. Or if somebody was being serious, I couldn't tell if it's a joke or not. So this all makes sense now. So, um, so after we got done talking, I went back to the family den and I was sitting in the recliner, but then I put the recliner seat down and I put the TV on mute.
And I just sat there in silence for like two minutes and I said to myself, okay, you know what you're diagnosed with? You know what you're not, you know what people said about you. So there's only one thing left to do. Let's go stress some people up and let's go prove the world wrong. So from that day forward, that was, I had, I had like this giant chip on my shoulder of, okay, I've been told I couldn't do X, Y, and Z. I've been told that I, I'm not going to graduate. I've been told I'm not going to be a college athlete and being a college athlete runs in my family's blood. My dad was a baseball player at Michigan State. My mom was a three sport All-American at Adrian College. And my sister was a volleyball player for Michigan State as well. So like it runs in our family blood. So I was like, okay, like go out and show all these people like you can do all these things despite being on the autism spectrum.
Richie
That's amazing. mean, I'm thinking about this from the lens of a parent and like, wow, what a tough decision that must have been for them to hold onto that. And, you know, I feel like as parents, we, very often make the decision that we think is right, but like, we don't know the answer, you know, and we're so, so, but for them to be able to tell you for it, to have the response that sounds like they were hoping for in you.
Anthony
Right, right.
Richie
Sounds like it really had an impact on you to get that information and explained a little bit about some of the questions you had in your mind, but then also kind of put you on this whole new track of I've got to prove I want to prove this and I want to prove that I can do all this.
Anthony
Yeah, exactly. And you know what, like, I'm a parent of three as well. I got two sons and a daughter. So I definitely understand, you know, those decisions of, okay, when do I want to tell my oldest about, you know, certain things that people said about him? Or when do I want to tell, you know, when do I really want to go that route of, okay, I need to make this decision with them. So I come as a parent, I completely understand it. And you want to make those choices based on if your kids are old enough to understand it.
Richie
Okay. Yeah.
Anthony
because I mean, I've had conversations with my own oldest son about me being on the spectrum. So like, he understands a little bit more now about who I am. But that was a conversation like I didn't I wasn't gonna tell him when he was five. Like it was a conversation like, you know, he happened just to Google me one day and then he found out, okay, you did all this stuff. You do all this motivational speaking for those years. What did you talk about? And I'm like, I talked about my story. Well, what's your story? So I had to tell him. And then he's asking me these questions about what autism is.
Richie
Yeah.
Anthony
you know, obviously he's, you know, I like to say my oldest son, he has put it this way. He's a 10. He's a, he's an old soul living in a 10 year old body. Cause just, just how, just how he is mentally and just how like incredibly smart he is. Like he's like way beyond my years, you know, when I was that age. So, but like, so, but I, you know, I've always applauded my parents for doing what they did because
Richie
Yeah. Yeah.
Anthony
they knew that eventually they were gonna tell me eventually, but I think it was just a matter of, okay, when do you do it? Like middle school, you know, I was still trying to find myself. I was still trying to learn all these things. And then high school, they felt like was the best time because I was starting to try to figure out, not only did I figure myself out, but I definitely had a better understanding of who I was and what I struggled.
Richie
Yeah, that's amazing. I'm curious about your playing career and some of those things that happen. So I got a couple of questions, right? My first question is, you know, I'm thinking about, I'm envisioning you as a young man, right? Being in middle school and high school and playing basketball, right? That's your sport, playing basketball. you know, it's a small arena, you know, a small kind of gymnasium. You get to college and you're doing it there and it's a little bit bigger. And then you get to Michigan State and all of a sudden you're playing in front of thousands and thousands of people. Walk us through that and some of the challenges you faced because that's overwhelming environment for anybody. How did you handle that?
Anthony
Well, luckily for me, like my dad was athletic administrator of Michigan State for over 30 years. So I was around that environment as a kid, but I really struggled with it early on because the four year old, five year old me would go to football and basketball games. And it was too much of a sensory overload for me at that time, just like the lights of the arena, the scoreboard, the buzzer, the crowd noise. Like it was way too much for me. So it was to a point where I would have my head in my mom's lap just put my head down, cover my ears, everything. But then one day, like I went to a game and then the horn went off and I put my hands on my ears, but then I slowly took them off. And so like the quieter the crowd got, like the more I was used to it. So every game I went to Michigan State event, whether it was volleyball, football, basketball or hockey, like my hands would be on my ears all the time, but then I would slowly take them off. And it's funny because I told Dr. Temple Grand in this story and she was amazed how I was able to control the environment around me, just put my hands over my ears and then just opening up a little bit, opening that door of noise and then closing it. And then it got to a point, Richie, where I was so used to it. I was starting to just go to games, but, this isn't a big deal. And plus as a nine, 10 year old kid, when you're watching Michael Jordan play, when you're watching Alan Iverson play, who was one, it was my all time favorite player.
When you're watching Shaquille O'Neal play and you want to be these guys, like that's when I started to learn the game of basketball, started going to my driveway and pretend I was playing in tens of thousands of people and just like, be like, MJ score, like making all the crowd noises and everything. so like once I got used, exactly, exactly. Like I legit would be in my driveway as a kid with my Michael Jordan jersey on. And my mom was like,
Richie
Yeah, Here's Anthony with the game winning shot. Yeah.
Anthony
And my mom will come out and say, Anthony, like, you know, five more minutes, we got to go inside for Darren. I'm like, mom, no, no, no, it's not. It's not Anthony. It's Jordan. All right. It's Jordan. Okay. Michael Jordan. So, because again, like I dreamed of being those guys and just like, you know, overcoming that, you know, just that sensory, you know, for arenas, you know, and just because I just one little thing I did, put my hands on my ears and taking them off just to hear the noise. And then when I started playing, like I think the biggest difficulty I had as a player. wasn't, honestly, like I got hyped and excited with crowds. I really did. Cause that's, that's, that's how I made a lot of my friendships, whether it was in high school or in college was, you know, I would go over stretch by our high school student section and just talk to them as I'm stretching, or I would go and just yuck it up with the visiting student section, talk trash, like, just have some fun with it. but the basketball piece though,
Richie
Yeah.
Anthony
-that was a bit of a struggle because there would be certain drills that I wouldn't understand. And my coaches would take me off to the side and walk me through them. There would be different terminology and play calls that I would get easily confused on. And but again, that's where my coaches would kind of take two minutes out of the drill, just to say to me, hey, like, watch so and so who's a senior, like watch him watch what he does. And then you go in there and do what he does, but do it better. So at the same time, it's like, okay, I'm watching my spot, but I'm also being challenged of, go do it better than a senior when you're only a sophomore on the team. So, but luckily again, the terminology piece was tough, but then the more and more I started to get involved with watching film and looking at the play sheets and looking at the play boards that our coaches did, like it really helped me because as a learner, like I'm a big visual learner. Like I really am. Like if you, if you put something on the board, like I can learn it easier that way than just like
Richie
Yeah.
Anthony
-you know, somebody explaining it to me, like, need you to show me instead of just like saying, hey, go do this when I could be doing the complete opposite, which is why my mom noticed something was off with me when I was around three. Like if you had told me to go, go to my closet and get a red shirt, I would come back with something completely different. I would come back with like a plaid checkered shirt. It's red, but there's like other colors. Or if my mom had told me go clean up the toys in the toy room, I do the complete opposite and get more toys out.
Richie
Yeah.
Anthony
So that's when my mom, you know, that's when, you know, she was like, okay, something's not something's off here. But then the older I got, like, I realized, okay, like, don't just give me a direction, like, kind of write it out for me and show me what I need to do. And even today, as a school administrator, like, you know, with my principal and assistant principal, like there are times where they have me go, hey, like, I need you to go do this. But I'm like, well, can you kind of show me what I need to do first before like, because I don't want to screw it up or anything. So
Richie
What does that mean? Yeah.
Anthony
And they're very accommodating with that. so basically just having my coaches show me plays on the play board and like have me watching what my teammates did in drills and plays like it really helped me become a better basketball player in the long run.
Richie
It's so interesting because I'm thinking about that must have taken some communication with them, right? And a lot of trust really for you to be able to share with them and have a collaborative approach to how can they help coach you in a way that works for you, which is different than, know, every athlete is different. Every coach is different. Every system is different. So how do you, you know, it had to not been for those coaches taking that time to say, great, Anthony, here's what we're looking for.
Anthony
Right. Mm-hmm.
Richie
watch this person, here's the model of it, now go and do it. That just takes a different level of communication and trust, I think.
Anthony
It really does because every coach that I've had, like I completely trust them with everything. Like I would run through a brick wall for all of them because of what they did for me. And, and then that's how like you develop your relationships with as a coach, you know, when it comes to coach players. So like, you know, I coach my son, my oldest son's basketball team. like, when it comes to developing relationships as a coach with your players, like you have to understand like who they are, not just as a person, but kind of what their strengths and weaknesses are as a player. And if you do, if you invest your time with those players and work with them on their weaknesses, you're going to earn their trust. And I think that's why like I was able to earn my coaches trust and their trust with me so quick was because they were willing to take those two, three extra minutes during practice or after practice to help me learn to help me become a better player. Or if I'm shooting free throws and my form is messed up, like they're going to walk over to my hoop and be like, try doing this, you know, follow through this way instead of they'll follow through all the way through instead of just like you know, following. So they always called it like a dead goose. Like don't, don't be a don't be a dead goose. Like hand in the cookie jar, hand in the cookie jar. So anytime even to this day, like I'll go to the gym, work out and then I'll go put up like 50 shots or something for fun. And I always keep telling myself, hand in the cookie jar, hand in the cookie jar. So but again, like, I'm just very blessed that I had, you know,
Richie
Yeah. Yeah.
Anthony
Hall of Fame coaches all three all of them are my high school coach actually not long ago just gotten inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame, which I thought was really cool. you know, coaches I was already a Hall of Famer and then my coach at Grand Valley State Rick Wesley, like he's a Hall of Fame coach as well. So for me to be blessed to work with Hall of Famers, like, it really goes to show like one how how lucky I was but to like I worked with coaches who really cared about their players.
Richie
That's great. Yeah, that's so great. I want to talk about before we move on from your playing career. I want to talk about arenas and how arenas can be supporting those with, you know, making sensory friendly rooms and those types of things and what your involvement has been in that. Can you tell us a little bit about what you've done and also what arena should continue to do?
Anthony
So, so let me kind of backtrack a little bit. I first, I first got into the sensory rooms because I have, you know, I had some connections with people who worked in sensory rooms. You know, I knew some folks from culture city who are huge when it comes to that. And I remember it was the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dan Gilbert, who's a Michigan state alum. They became one of the first NBA teams to open up a sensory room in quick and loans arena.
And when I saw that, was like, man, like, you know, has anybody else at the college level even done that? And then I start seeing the NFL teams get into it. Then I start seeing NHL and baseball stadiums do it. like, I'm like, you know, Michigan, Michigan state could be one of the first colleges to do it. And so, cause I know like, you know, culture city has worked with Michigan state, you know, for sensory kits for arenas, but they didn't have that one room for them to, you know, have a sensory room for individuals on the spectrum or individuals with sensory needs to have that, you know, room to go to and just kind of be, you know, kind of like deescalate a little bit. And so, so around five, geez, I can't believe it. Like five, six years ago, I reached out to the manager who runs the Brezza Student Event Center of Michigan State, our basketball arena. And I asked him, said, Hey, like, this is what I'm trying to do. This is what I'm looking for. This is what the cost would be.
And when he saw the cost, it was maybe a good 10 15,000 to get a room done. He was he was blown away. He goes, I thought this would be like $100,000 project. I said, No, no, no, like, it's, it's not if we did that, we would have to knock down a bunch of walls. Like, we're not doing that. We're just looking for we're looking for extra space here in the Brezlin Center. And then about three years later, in the spring of 2022, I went to San Francisco to work with the Golden State Warriors for their autism awareness night because my my old teammate Draymond Green
Richie
Yeah.
Anthony
He's with the Golden State Warriors. And he's really gotten into the advocacy world of autism because of me. And I'm very grateful that he's doing that now. So, but the Warriors wanted to show me their sensory room. So we go to the arena, they show me the sensory room. Their sensory room was built in an old janitor's closet. And it was it was a big closet. I'm like, wait a minute, timeout. You mean to tell me that you you made this sensory room from a janitor's closet?
Like, yeah, like we just repainted it. We moved stuff out. put furniture in here. And so I remember taking video and pictures and I sent it to the manager of the Breslin center. said, this is a janitor's closet at the Chase center. It for with the gold state warriors. Let's find a space. Let's get this done. And not even a few months go by. I got a phone call from the folks in Breslin center saying we have a space. Let's get this done. Like who do we need to partner with? So we partnered with, Freddie, the pizza man foundation.
Richie
Yeah.
Anthony
Freddie's foundation, they do sensory rooms and schools and in other arenas around the state of Michigan. So his foundation is to raise money for sensory rooms. And so I immediately called Freddie and I said, Hey, like, this is an opportunity for not only for us to put Michigan State on the map when it comes to the sensory room, but it's also a way for us to put the state of Michigan on the map as well. So Freddie was working with the Lions at the time and the Detroit Tigers with their sensory room. And I told Freddie, said, none of our…None of our colleges have this. So let's let's do this. And so in the fall of 2023, we officially opened up the Spartan Spartan family sensory room at the Breslau Center. It was one of the first sensory rooms of its kind in the Big Ten, the Big Ten Conference and any basketball or football stadium. And, you know, I kind of made that challenge to all. Well, at the time, all 13 teams, the Big Ten, now there's 18. So I made a challenge to all 17 of them like, hey, we've kind of set the blueprint, we've laid out the blueprint for you. Now I want you guys to follow suit. And so just seeing that come to fruition, like if there was one thing I was going to put a stamp on during my time at Michigan State, I wanted to be that because you know, whenever, when anybody thinks of that sensory room, they think of me or they think of my family. They think of what Michigan State did for me, but what they currently do for individuals with learning disabilities and who are on the spectrum.
And It's funny because like after the room was built, the phone calls and the messages I got from workers at Michigan State saying, this isn't just a great room for my students. It's a great room for my colleagues because they don't, they didn't have that room where can they just get away for about 10 minutes and just like breathe and like just deescalate, you know, deescalate from things. But having that room, like they said the like just the amount, the less, the amount of stress that is taken off of them because of that room. Like they said, it's incredible. And so I'm very proud of that. And so, and the cool thing is that room is going to be there forever. It's going to be there forever. And even Michigan state does rebuild the Breslin center one day, like it's going to be another room. you know, I exactly, so in, I really got to give the Golden State warriors and their event management a big shout out because had they not show me their sensory room.
I don't know what I don't know what I would have gone back to a Michigan State and been like, okay, we need to find a space, find a space. So, you know, I'm very lucky that Golden State was able to show me their sensory room. And, you know, they do it right over there. They really do. They got two sensory rooms over at the Chase Center. So they have one on the main concourse and then the upper concourse, which I was like, that's good stuff. you know, just seeing what all these different pro teams are doing when it comes to sensory awareness and autism awareness, like
It's such a cool thing to see and the even cooler part is it's going to continue for a very, very long time.
Richie
Yeah, I mean, think that's the thing that sticks out to me is that it's it's that was the beginning, right? That's one, you know, one or two rooms and this in one arena. Now it's happening in a whole host of different locations. You know, I think the big thing for me is gosh, those sensory rooms are there. really for anyone. You said it right. Anyone who's feeling stressed and the amount of the amount of time that we need to pause and take care of ourselves as humans, all humans, whether whether we're
Anthony
Yeah.
Richie
on the autism spectrum or not, whether we're neurodivergent or not, like how many of us need to pause and take five minutes a day in a sensory friendly location that is just quiet to help us regulate and get back to our normal state. And I think that's super important for all of us, whether it's at an arena, whether it's at home, whether it's at work, regardless of where it is, find that time, make that time. And so it's a huge achievement to be able to do that.
Anthony
No, it is. And I agree with you on that because, you know, as somebody who deals with 500 plus students every day, plus, plus staff, you know, you're called in so many different directions as an administrator. And, you know, there are times where I have to tell my staff like, Hey, I'll see you in five minutes. I'm turning my, I'm turning my walkie talkie off for five minutes. I'll be back online at one 45. And so I will go in my office, shut my lights off and just kind of like, Just do like breathing exercises, listen to music. And then once my alarm goes off after five minutes, it's like, all right, back to work. Let's go. Because being able to kind of take those five minutes, even if, even if it's two minutes, like being able to take that little time for yourself, it really does help you in so many ways. It really helps you get your focus back on track.
Richie
So that's a perfect segue, Anthony. I wanna talk about, we talked about a little bit about you growing up, a little bit about your successful playing career, a little bit about some of your achievements, but I wanna also hear about what you've got going on now. You're a school administrator, you spend some time as a motivational speaker, you're a father and a family man. Tell us about you today.
Anthony
So you already mentioned it. right, actually right after college, I went right to the speaking circuit because after I graduated, I was kind of at a crossroads of what I wanted to do. There was a big part of me that wanted to be an athletic administrator like my father does, because, you know, I was able to be around some great teams, some great facilities and great coaches at Michigan State because of my father. But I wanted to be able to have you know, those opportunities and moments with my own kids one day. But then, you know, when I first did my first ever keynote speech at a gala in Detroit before I graduated, I remember just going home one night and saying to myself, All right, I think you found what your calling is. I think this is where you need to be. And so there. So from there, from there forward, I was hired by the nonprofit organization that hosted the gala before I graduated. And so they hired me to do motivational speaking on anti-bullying and autism. So I went all over the country. went to Oregon, I went to California, New York, Kansas, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida. Like, I'm just naming a few places here, but I'm pretty sure I've been to more than half the states in the 11 years that I spoke. And then I did my own anti-bullying initiative with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, who I worked for for eight years called the Relentless Tour.
In just those eight years, the Relentless Tour, we visited over 450 schools and events around the country. And I spoke to over 600,000 individuals around the country as well. the numbers I'm very proud of, but like more importantly, the impact that the presentation had, phone calls, the emails and the messages that I get, that I got from students and teachers. Like that's why I really did it was for those kinds of impacts. Like, cause I had a lot of people that have said to me, well, you're just thinking about you based on your story. I'm like, I'm not really because like if somebody can take my words and my guidance and advice to help them make live a better life, like that's all that matters to me like, because a lot of the lot of the schools that I did, I did them for free. Like I like especially a lot of the inner city schools because I you know, we had we had a promotion in Michigan where if your school was 40 % or more free reduced lunch, then I'm not you're not paying.
Richie
Mmm.
Anthony
Like I'll, I'll see you at nine o'clock. I'll be there for a couple hours and then, you know, we'll stay in touch. So, cause I was getting paid on the side, you know, through departments. All right. So I was a full-time employee for them. So I had a salary through them. So I really didn't need, you know, to make the extra, I didn't need it. So, because it was a mess, the message was more important than, than anything. And a lot of those schools ran with it. And some of them still use the best same message that I gave to this day. Uh, but after a while.
Richie
Yeah. Didn't need it.
Anthony
You know, I remember my dad having this conversation with me when I first started. know, you get certain things in life can, can run its course for so long. And so I felt like, you know, the relentless tour had did, had so much success, but I also felt like it was time for a change for me as well. so I never closed that. didn't, I never closed the door on being a school administrator, getting an education because every administrator that I've met and developed relationships with through, you know, being a motivational speaker, I always had those conversations of, hey, what do have to do to be a school administrator? What do you have to do? Like, what's it like? And every, every principal or assistant principal, or even Dean of students I talked to said, you know, it's great. We love being I love being around the kids. You know, like difficult is the paperwork. So I understand I understand now what they meant about all that paperwork. So I'm like, okay, they- they were right. The kids are awesome. Working with parents is fun here and there, but the paperwork stinks. Okay. They were right. But, you know, I'd never close that. I'd never close that door. And so, but, you know, when I was applying for different, different administrative positions, you know, it was tough at first. Like I got the guy, I don't know how many places I applied to, cause I only have a bachelor's in sociology. Like I don't have a degree. I don't have a master's in administrators, administration yet. So You know, so when I applied to the school that I'm currently working at now in Detroit, you know, my principal at the time, she saw my resume and she brought me in for an in-person interview. And I remember like she was walking me around the building and she took me up to where the dean's office would be. She goes, well, this is your office. I was like, wait, time out. You said this is my office. Like you're giving me the job. She's like, yes, I am. I'm like, my God. So I was so excited. But then she told me, said, well, I asked her, said, why did you pick me? She goes She goes, well, if you technically think about it, 11 years in schools, you technically are already been in education. The the, the, the only difference is the only differences are you've never worked in a classroom. You've never worked. you never worked as a teacher, but because you have worked with students for so long and because of the motivator you've been like, that's what we're looking for. And so I remember my first year as administrator, it was interesting because I was trying to get my feet wet, trying to
Richie
You've been in school.
Anthony
you know, get to know our staff in the building, get to know our students. And then this, the second year I went through, was a lot, it was a lot more, it was much more smoother. Because I know, I know our staff really well, I got to know our kids even better this year. So going into year three, which is crazy, I go back to work in a couple of weeks, having summers off is fun. And my fiance gets really jealous of me because she works, you know, five days a week, and I'm like off two and a half months in the summer. So I said to her the other day, I said, said, man, like summer just flies like I go back to work in like 13 days or so and she goes, Oh, when the rest of us have to work every day. Yeah, exactly. So, um, so it definitely has its positives. And I'm very blessed. And like I said, like I'm a year away from getting my master's in higher education administration from the University of Alabama. So that's
Richie
I never stopped away. Yeah. Yeah.
Anthony
That's another thing that I'm able to cross off a year from now is to show people like, yeah, I didn't just get my bachelor's, but I got my master's too. And I did all this despite being on the spectrum.
Richie
Congratulations on that. That's a lot of work, right? I know how much work you're, how much time and energy you're putting into that. The theme I'm hearing from you, what you're talking about is, you you're, mentioned your coach, coaches would pull you aside and, and break down the drills a little bit and, and, and give you some visuals to kind of follow. It sounds like that's what you did your first year as an administrator. And then your second year was a lot easier because you had kind of that.
Anthony
Thank you.
Richie
mental map so to speak of what to do and how to do it. Would you agree with that?
Anthony
100%. And my first year I had to lead on to so many different people. had to really lean on to our principal. I really had to learn on, lean on to our assistant principal because they've been doing it longer than me. And the relationships I've been able to develop with, you know, all of our teachers, just getting to know them and them getting to know me and being able to develop those relationships and asking, Hey, if you were in my shoes, what would you do? Or, Hey, this is what I'm thinking going to do? You know, like with a school initiative wise, like, what do you guys think? How could it be better? Or if we're doing like a field day with our kids? I always make sure I get feedback. Okay, what's the feedback? What what didn't you like? What did you like? Like, and also, like, there's, there's also like the drama piece too, where you're gonna have folks in the building that are not going to be happy, you're gonna have parents that obviously want to blame you for everything, just like if you were a coach, they want to blame you for everything. But You know, I do everything I can to make sure because my job as the Dean of Culture in our building is to make sure our culture is super upbeat and positive. And if it's not like I'm not doing my job, but I also realize too, it's not just on me to make sure our school environment and culture is on me. It's on everybody because we're around those students every day. We want to make sure our students are feel loved and supported because you know, we are interstate. We are intercity school and a lot of our kids come from different backgrounds, tough backgrounds. And we always want to make sure like whenever they walk into our building, like it's a sanctuary, like they want to come here, feel at peace with everything. Yep, exactly. So, and everything I did on the Relentless tour from a motivational standpoint, like I've taken a lot of that and brought it over with me. Like a lot of, a lot of the stories that I, that I was able to have and develop during my time as a speaker, I've taken those stories and I've shared them all with my students.
Richie
safe space.
Anthony
You know, they know a little bit about my background. They know about, you know, what I've had to overcome. And I think for my students to be able to see that, you know, I think it really does motivate them a lot. and the funny thing, Richie is, cause a lot of, a lot of, a lot of my colleagues, you know, outside of education have asked me, my friends like have asked me, who are your favorite students? The ones that are not in trouble. And my answer has always been no. Like my fit, my favorite students.
Richie (36:46.359)
you
Anthony Ianni (36:48.756)
are the troublemakers like I kid you not because I learned more from them than I hope they do from me because you know just being like either I interact with them the most all the time but being able to develop those relationships with the students and gaining their trust that's probably what makes my job so great is developing those relationships with the kids and then you know I've had a couple students leave the last couple years to go to high school but then they come back
and they'll come right to my office to say hi to me. Like that's, that's the highlight. Those are highlights for me. Like just being able to have those students come back and say hi to me when, when I've always joked with them, you're going to forget about me. Like, you know, don't forget about poor old Mr. Ianny when you're like making it big time, whatever you do. And the response has always been Mr. Ianny, you know, I'm always going to come back and mess with you no matter what. I'm like, yeah, that's true. You probably will.
Richie
Take second. Yeah. sure. Yeah, but that's I mean, that I think that's a special relationship that's unique, right? That's not something that everyone has with their school administrators. You know, I want to I want to make sure that we that we talk about what's coming next for you, right? I want to make sure we talk about the future. You mentioned some of some of what's coming, right? You're about a year away from finishing your master's program. What else is what else is coming for you, Anthony?
Anthony
Right. yeah. So my co-author and I were in the process of getting our second book done as well as trying to get our illustration book done as well. So I'm also an author as well. My book titled Centered Autism Basketball and One Athlete's Dream came out, geez, four years ago. It'll be four years ago this September. And I've always kind of like always want to keep that going with my co-author Rob Keese. And so, you know, there's a couple more things that I would like to do, you know, book wise. And plus as far as the illustration book goes, my mom's always wanted me to do that for so long. And so what, once I was given the opportunity to do that, I was like, all right, I'm only doing this because of my mom. Like this is what my mom would love to see. So, exactly, exactly. but other than, other than taking care of my kids, my family and continue to work.
Richie
Yeah. You gotta keep mom happy.
Anthony
You know, I just plan on living life for the next, you know, a hundred years and just enjoying it. And, but more importantly, doing whatever I can to, you know, continue to help, help my community, which is the autism community advocate for it. Cause you know, even though I'm not on the road as much as I used to, honestly, Richie, like I tell people all the time, like I don't miss it. I thought I would miss it, but because I'm in a different part of my life and a different career, like I really don't miss the travel. I don't miss going to all these.
Richie
hard.
Anthony
different schools, like, yeah, like I did it most anywhere up to four presentations a day. And for after a while that like, there was even one day I did nine in a day, which was ridiculous. And I looked back on that I'm like, how did I have all that energy to wake up at five 30 in the morning, go to like five different schools, but still be able to do nine different presentations in one day? Like-And that's the thing, like everybody thought that, that's the good life. Well, yes and no. The yes part, because I got to meet some incredible people, got to meet some incredible students, got to work with incredible businesses, sports teams, got to go to different towns I've never been to all my life. But the traveling and the going on stage performing got tired after a while. And so, you know, I'll always have the memories to look back on, but,
Richie
Sure.
Anthony
You know, I'm so focused on now with what I'm doing as administrator, like, you know, I mean, I'll take a I'll take a, I'll take a speaking gig here and there, you know, if it's in the summertime, man, but not not
Richie
Yeah, but you can't, but being on the road like that is tough and family and all those things. Anthony, I got to ask you one last question. You know, I'm thinking about our listeners and your experience and all the different roles you've played so far in your lifetime. What's one thing that you would want our listeners to know about autism?
Anthony
Yup. Sure. Ooh, man. One thing I want our listeners to know about autism. You know, when it comes to autism, I want our listeners to know that. You know, I've always told people in the past that autism does not define who you are. Like you define who you are. And autism is just, autism is an incredible part of my life. And I want our listeners to know that if you are on the spectrum, if you have family members who are on the spectrum, to remember that they are incredible as well. And what's so great about the spectrum, Richie, is that, you know, it's big spectrum.
high end, low end, you can be right in the middle. But I've also told parents and individuals like, look, the spectrum, it's massive, but you know what? We all have one thing in common and that's we're all unique. We're all unique in our own ways. And some people have said, I've gotten a bit of pushback on this when I've said, when we're all unique and we're all talented in our own ways being on the spectrum. I've met parents who have said, well, my child is very low functioning and they're never gonna be like you.
But I've also told, I've also shared with those parents about the story that Coach Izzo told me about how he has a next door neighbor whose son is on the autism spectrum. He's, you know, has to have care for the rest of his life because he's very low functioning. But Coach Izzo was blown away by the fact that this young man has artwork hanging in the East Lansing Art Museum almost every year because of how great of a painter he is. And I remember telling Coach Izzo, I said, that's the thing. Like, when people look at autism, they think of certain characteristics. They only think of one type of autism and autism is more than that. Autism, the autism shows who we are as individuals. It shows what we can overcome and not just that, but it builds, it builds stronger relationships. builds unity. If there's one thing that I've learned being around my family and every other family around the country who is, who has individuals on the autism spectrum is just how much stronger they become as families and how united they are on that front because they all have one goal and focus and that's to support their son or daughter. So if there's one thing I want our listeners to know about autism is how strong it makes individuals and how unite families can be from this.
Richie
Yeah, that's a great message, Anthony. Thank you so much for that and for giving us the whole rundown today. Appreciate the conversation.
Anthony
Thank you, Richie. I appreciate you.
Richie
We'll have to have you back when you graduate.
Anthony
Absolutely, you know I'm ready for that.
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