Survive and Advance
One of the most dramatic, heartrending, inspirational documentaries I have ever seen is “Survive and Advance”. The story is about coach Jim Valvano and the 1983 North Carolina State Wolfpack college basketball team. Before you stop reading because you are not a sports fan…wait.
This story is about life even more than basketball. I guarantee you will be uncontrollably weeping and incredibly inspired after watching this program. In the story, the term “cutting down the nets” is used. This is a tradition in basketball that is performed after a team wins some type of championship. The players, in turn, climb a ladder and cut one of the net links and at the end the coach cuts the final one and waves the net over his or her head.
Last month, in my daughter’s final season of high school basketball, she got to “cut down the nets” after winning her District Championship game. I got chills watching her climb the ladder and thought back to the documentary that she and I have watched so many times… It will be a moment I will never forget, nor will she.
Call to action: Watch this ESPN 30 for 30 documentary or at least the short speech and let us know your greatest “cutting down the nets” memory.
Part 1 (Sorry, only part one I could find. Watch 1 hour and go on to part 2.)
Part 2
ESPY Speech
I would love to hear your thoughts.
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