34 Motivational Coach Jim Valvano Quotes

motivational quotes Nov 16, 2023

Inspirational quotes from Coach Jimmy V

Coach Jim Valvano, also known as "Jimmy V," was a legendary figure in the world of american college basketball. He had infectious energy and a larger-than-life personality.

Valvano achieved great success as the head basketball coach of the North Carolina State University men's team, leading them to an improbable NCAA championship in 1983.

His impact extended far beyond the basketball court. Valvano was a master motivator and a firm believer in the power of a positive mindset.

He inspired countless individuals through his speeches and writings, encouraging them to chase their dreams and never give up, no matter the obstacles they faced.

His most memorable speech came in 1993 at the ESPY's, some of which is quoted below.

Jimmy V passed away at a young age due to cancer, but his legacy lives on. Alongside ESPN, he founded the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.

He taught us to embrace each day, cherish the moments, and always strive for greatness. Here are 34 of the most inspirational Jim Valvano quotes that show the type of person he was.

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Quotes From Jim Valvano's Famous Speech

In 1993, Jimmy V gave one of the most memorable speeches in sports history at the ESPY Awards. The speech was particularly powerful because Valvano was battling terminal cancer at the time. Despite his physical condition, his spirit, humor, and passion for life shined through.

In the speech, Valvano shared his insights on life, happiness and success which you'll find below.

1. "We should do three things every day of our life. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is to think, we should spend some time in thought. And, number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears."

2. "If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."

3. "Don't give up. Don't ever give up."

4. "And if you see me, smile and maybe give me a hug. That's important to me too."

5. "Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul."

6. "I will thank God for the day and the moment I have."

7. "I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going, to be enthusiastic every day."

8. "I talked about my family, my family’s so important."

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Jimmy V Quotes On Success

Jimmy V believed that success was not just about achieving one's goals, but also about the journey towards those goals. He emphasized the process over the outcome and the effort, determination, and heart that you put into your journey.

9. "No matter what business you're in, you can't run in place or someone will pass you by. It doesn't matter how many games you've won."

10. "What enables us to achieve our greatness contains the seeds of our destruction."

11. "I set out very calculatedly to become known. The only thing I maybe miscalculated was how easy it would be."

12. "Nothing has ever been accomplished in any walk of life without enthusiasm, without motivation, and without perseverance."

13. "In every single day, in every walk of life, ordinary people do extraordinary things. Ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things."

14. "Know where you have been, where you are now and where you want to be."

15. "Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding."

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Coach Jimmy V Quotes About Dreams

Jimmy V was passionate about the importance of following your dreams. He was a believer that you should never give up on your dreams, no matter how out of reach they may seem.

16. "How do you go from where you are to where you wanna be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it."

17. "Be a dreamer. If you don't know how to dream, you're dead."

18. "How many people do you know who've had their dream come true? You're looking at one."

19. "Nothing can happen if it's not first a dream. If you have someone with a dream, if you have a motivated person with a goal and a vision, if you have someone that never gives up, who has great hope, Anything can happen."

20. "Conceive the inconceivable - then accomplish it."

21. "You need to have a dream, a goal, and you must be willing to work hard."

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Best Jim Valvano Quotes About Life

Coach Valvano encourages us to live each day with purpose and to enjoy every moment.

22. "Now, I look at where I am now and I know what I wanna to do. What I would like to be able to do is to spend whatever time I have left and to give, and maybe some hope to others."

23. "Time is very precious to me. I don't know how much I have left and I have some things that I would like to say. Hopefully, at the end, I will have said something that will be important to other people too."

24. "Now I'm fighting cancer, everybody knows that. People ask me all the time about how you go through your life and how's your day, and nothing is changed for me."

25. "Life changes when you least expect it to. The future is uncertain. So, seize this day, seize this moment, and make the most of it."

26. "A person really doesn't become whole, until he becomes a part of something that's bigger than himself."

27. "I'm not happy to be here. I'm just happy to be!"

Other Inspirational Quotes By Jimmy Valvano

28. "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me."

29. "The greatest gift you can give your children is to believe in them."

30. "To find the unlimited scope of human possibility, look within yourself."

31. "Other people go to the office. I get to coach. I know I've been blessed."

32. "Coaches are basically schizophrenic. We are pessimistic to the press and among fellow coaches, but to our team, we are the eternal optimists."

33. "There are 86,400 seconds in a day. It's up to you to decide what to do with them."

34. "Ralph Waldo Emerson said, 'Nothing great can be accomplished without enthusiasm to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems.' Whatever you have, the ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality."

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