The One and The Only Jimmy Valvano
“Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding”. These were the words that the late Jimmy Valvano gave to his audience at the ESPY Awards on March 3rd 1993. The ESPY Awards are sponsored by ESPN each year for those recognized for their achievement in sports. Almost 21 years ago, “Jimmy V” as he was known gave his speech because he was not told to; rather, he gave his speech because he was qualified to influence a revolution. Jimmy Valvano was a prestigious collegiate basketball coach at North Carolina State University. It was at North Carolina State, where he led his Cinderella team to a national championship in 1983. Just nine years later in 1992 he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer that ultimately claimed his life at the age of 47. Shortly before his tragic death he received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. After accepting the first Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the first ESPY awards, Jimmy V went up onto the stage humbled and obviously very weak to deliver something long awaited. Through his effective emotional tone, and overall organization of the speech, Valvano influenced a community to keep on fighting, and never let anything get in the way of chasing ones dreams.
Born to Rocco and Angela Valvano, James Thomas Anthony Valvano was not your typical child. Growing up James was a character. He had crazy aspirations that ultimately shaped who he would become in later decades. When James Valvano was around the age of seventeen he pondered what he wanted to be when he grew up, just like many of his peers at that age. James took a small index card and wrote down everything he wanted to accomplish in his life. On that single index card, James wrote he ...
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...ancer research. “The Jimmy V Foundation” was created and is forever changing cancer research today. Over 100 million dollars has been generated thus far and there will be no stopping there. James Valvano influenced us all that life has it challenges but emphasizes that dreams really do come true if you really want to grab it, take it and never let go. So how do we take Valvano’s words and use them as a stepping-stone to get back in focus in the positive direction? For Jimmy it did not matter if he was terribly weak or at the end of his life but he was able to have found strength to continue his ambitious fight. For the rest of us no matter how tired we are from a tough day at work, long day at school, or economic woes we can take what Jimmy has preached to us, and though adversity we can make changes to ourselves to better prepare us for the present, and the future.
Valvano gave a speech at the 1993 ESPY awards in which he depicted his ideas of leadership. He stated that leaders need a vision. He said that in one practice every year he would have the players practice on how they would act when they win. He did not say if they win, he said when they win. Valvano was giving his players a vision. They had something to believe in and play for. They were not playing just to look good and move on to the professional level. They were playing to win a national championship. Valvano envisioned an idea for his team and his team bought into that vision. He also taught that leaders need to connect with their followers. Valvano stated that he often would randomly call his players into his office just to chat with them. He wanted them to feel comfortable with him. They did not just talk about basketball, they could talk about anything. Valvano’s followers, in this case his players, were comfortable with him and they trusted him. They had no doubt when it came to their leader. Valvano fully understood the value of connection. He also taught that leaders learn from their followers. In Valvano’s final speech he talked about the four things that the 1983 national championship team taught him. They taught him hope, dreaming, persistence, and love. These four things came from the connection that Valvano had with his players. The 1983 national championship team
Last March, an undefeated basketball squad faced a tragic loss, and unfortunately it was not the game. An undefeated season was on the line for the Fennvile Blackhawks, and the whole town was in attendance. The game went into overtime and Wes Leonard was ready for it. Seconds left in overtime, the score was tied again. It was the last play of the game, and Wes Leonard drove to the basket for a lay up, putting them up by two. Time expired and fans rushed the court looking for the hero that made that game winning basket. Seconds later that hero collapsed to the ground. Wes Leonard, a 16 year old healthy boy, died minutes after his dream, a game winning shot, of a cardiac arrest. ( Moisse Sec. 1 Par. 1-3)
Just as Johnny’s courage shines through so does his fast maturity from child to adult. His childhood was stolen away from him by his illness but instead of sulking he pulls himself together. He takes every difficulty in stride, and gets through them. Even when he is feeling down he hides it for he does not want anyone else to feel his pain. Being a seventeen year old boy he wants to do the things all other seventeen year old boys do.
The famous retired basketball player Michael Jordan sees eye to eye with Gladwell vision of success. According to Michael Jordan “ I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career.I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 Times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again that is why I succeed.” by using facts and figures Michael Jordan highlights all his failures and how he grew from them and that to get to success you need work and
For many years Alonzo operated a station on the Underground Railroad. James and his two brothers and two sisters would often help with the work. It was during this time that James began to develop his courage that would be seen in his later years.
Actually telling his friends that his goal was to get a college degree. Even Jimmy had mind changes at Marquette; he wanted to leave Marquette because coach Buzz Williams was hard on Jimmy. At Marquette Jimmy was 2009-10 big east honorable mention and 2010-11 big east honorable mention. After his 4th year in college and getting his degree, Jimmy entered the NBA draft with high hopes and dreams!
We have learned our own individual personality can drive our sense of direction. The choices James made during his childhood where not his fought, he did not have the parental guidance during his developmental stage. Amazingly, he conquered all to obstacles to become successful.
“Each year, when hockey season starts, Mr. Allen walks a little faster, holds his chin a little higher, and smiles a little brighter.” A week into our season- Saturday, December 5th, 2015 – it was game day, we would be traveling to a school in Massachusetts. There was 17 of us on the team; 3 freshmen, 6 sophomores, 1 junior, 7 seniors. Majority of us were at the school because of the head coach, Ed Allen. He was the type of man you wanted to play for, work your hardest for, but more importantly he was the type of man you wanted to be around, to talk to, and to listen to the very few but wise words he said. His biggest thing was being relentless and being selfless; to have a what can I give, not a what can I get attitude.
Cancer is a deadly disease that millions of people die from a year. Many loved ones are killed with little to no warning affecting families across our world. My family happened to be one that was affected by this atrocious disease. This event changed the way my family members and I viewed cancer.
The videos shown and explained that if you give 110% and try your hard then is nothing that will stand in your way of accomplishing your dreams. For example JMac tried his hardest, and even though he a disability he didn’t let him get stopped by anything. This is a primary example for other kids and actually everyone to show that nothing is really out of reach. His experience and exposure to the media laid the groundwork for even more kids to seize their own moment. I think that JMac’s broadcasted experience to the public gave kids the confidence to do what they believe in. As you take a closer look at this amazing accomplishment and achievement you can apply this in different situations. No one expect Jmac to be on the basketball team but
The championship game loss helps the audience, especially young adults with high, aspiring dreams, to understand, that even if you do work-hard and aren’t awarded with winning your goal, this isn’t the end of your journey. It only means you have to work harder in the future, if you want to succeed at your goal. This conclusion shows young children how to lose properly and how to be grateful for what they have, since being good a winning is a much easier task. For like a quote from Colin Powell, “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” The under-class, basketball players learned from the mistakes in the title game, so they could go farther and win next year’s championship, because failure should never be your excuse to not attempt something.
I recently started “#ASKGARYVEE” by Gary Vaynerchuk. This book is an informational genre but has elements of biography in it. Vaynerchuk is a American entrepreneur four time New York Time bestselling author, speaker and internet personality. He was first known as a wine critic who grew his family business form 3 million to 60 million dollars. His net worth as of today is 150 million dollars
When he was diagnosed in 1996, his access to resources and guidance for navigating the medical, physical, and emotional tolls he would face on his journey was limited. Information existed, but it took effort, at a trying time, to find the help that he needed (MedlinePlus, 2006). With the support of his mother, close friends, and nurse, he was able to research, get a second opinion, and find the hope to keep going. It is that hope that motivated him to start the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and to, in the words of his doctor, Dr. Craig Nichols, “continue to fulfill the obligation of the cured by leading a grassroots movement to reduce incidence, increase survival and offer each person with cancer the opportunity to live their life on their own terms” (MedlinePlus,
One of the best representations I could give to someone would be a 93-year old man that almost made it to the Olympic USA table tennis team. Although he has been playing table tennis for 86 years and first started when he was 7 years old he still could not make it past the recreational level. You would think that after 86 years of playing the sport you love you would accomplish your dreams, sadly after all these years he still hasn’t made it to the Olympics, his ultimate dream. Now his dream will forever be left unaccomplished and be left for the next hopeful table tennis player. If this guy who was better than most by far with a crazy amount of dedication couldn’t make it, this just shows how hard it is to make it past the recreational
...n tell us that we can support one another for cancers. There are numerous good things that can come out of media, but we must know the difference between what is good and what is not.