HAMMOND, La.  – On January 14, 2012 at 4:32 a.m., the phone call came to Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball associate head coach Mark Lieberman that every parent dreads.
 
While on a road trip with Florida International University as an assistant coach, Lieberman got the unthinkable phone call that no one wishes on anyone. His four-month old son, Maxwell, had suddenly passed away due to complications from a premature birth.
 
"Internally I'm a broken man because of it," said Lieberman. "As much as I've maintained some of my qualities and personalities as a man such as my love for basketball and sense of humor, it's hard. There are moments that are triggers. Some days I'm fine and then some days I see a father and his son outside and it breaks my heart."
 
With every tragedy, however, Lieberman has shown that there are ways to make it a positive. The Lions' third year coach is now a spokesperson for March of Dimes. More than 380,000 babies are born each year preterm according to MarchOfDimes.Org. Each year, one woman dies every 12 hours from pregnancy-related causes, and 1 in 10 babies is born preterm.
 
"I've done speaking engagements in Georgia and when I was at Louisville," said Lieberman. "And those type of things are helpful for me to get through this rather than only think about that day. Because I don't think I'll ever truly be the same after that day. This (March of Dimes) won't fix me but it certainly helps cope with the bad days."
 
While that tragic day will always be in Lieberman's heart, he has also become more cognizant of mental health and understanding the players he has coached in over 27 years on the sidelines.
 
"I've got a lot more respect and understanding for emotional issues that coaches and players go through on a daily basis," said Lieberman. "So, I can empathize a lot more with some of the things that our players go through now. Before, I was always a 'stern, tough love' coach but now there is always players that I can talk to and cry in front of. I can be more humanized and vulnerable in front of our players. So, a byproduct of all this is that I can turn it into a positive by helping our players. I can now see that basketball isn't always the end all be all. Don't get me wrong I'm constantly haunted by demons from this but I try to overcome it the best I can."
 
Lieberman is also aware that this is something that many parents go through and that it's something you can never be prepared for.
 
"I don't think there is any advice you can give to a parent on how to deal with this," said Lieberman. "But I think you can listen and just give somebody an ear. Some days I don't want anyone to tell me what to do, I just want to hear them say 'I'm sorry for what you're going through.' It's a terrible fraternity to belong to but I've developed many relationships because of it. There's no turn for a parent who has lost a child, it's the worst thing that can happen to a human being and I sympathize with anyone else who has ever gone through something like this."
 
In honor of Maxwell, Southeastern will host the 'Maxwell Lieberman Classic' Sunday, Nov. 14^th when they take on Paul Quinn College in the University Center at 1 p.m.
 
Fans are encouraged to attend the game. Those interested in contributions to the March of Dimes organization can do so at https://p2p.onecause.com/marchofdimes/accept?challenger=riley-conroy&team=maxwell-lieberman-classic).
 
HARDWOOD CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the basketball program are encouraged to join the Hardwood Club.  Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letterwinners.  All membership fees and donations to Hardwood Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern basketball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Basketball, follow @LionUpMBB and @DavidKieferSLU on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern is implementing mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets for the 2020-21 season. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.