I went to a handful of NC State basketball camps in my youth. A couple of them were when Jim Valvano was still coach there. Every so often I think of those weeks I spent playing hoops all day down there. I try to remember as much as I can about the speeches Valvano gave. I don't remember much. I do remember that he was a sort of rock star. When he made a visit to the gym it was a riot. Absolute riot. Everyone there cheered and cheered. I went to a lot of camps and not one player, coach or celebrity got the same response.
The memory that came back to me today was one of readiness. Valvano said that when you walk on the basketball court you should immediately be in an athletic position, ready to go. Cross that out of bounds line... knees bent, hands out. I was giving a safety talk today in front of my employees and it just came back. Just like that. I used it as an example of what to be like when you get on the production floor. Safety glasses on and ready to go.
Silly, yeah. But I don't want anyone hurt. It's a funny way to remember something nearly lost to time, I'm glad I did.
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