Jim Valvano, the charismatic coach of NC State’s basketball team from 1980-1990, is renowned for having his team practice cutting down the nets, like you do after you win a championship. In 1983, his underdog Wolfpack famously beat team after team that was favored to win, until finally, they won the NCAA National Championship.
There are a couple of great reasons to practice “cutting down the nets,” whatever that pinnacle of achievement is for you. First, the nuts and bolts—you don’t want to be trying to juggle the scissors and climb the ladder at the same time. It helps, as they say, if you’ve been there before.
What is it like to step up on the first rung of the ladder? How are you going to hold the scissors? Are you going to wave to the fans from the top? When you come down, how do you hand off the scissors to the next person?
But the second reason is the one Jim Valvano cared about. His 1983 team were unlikely champions, but they had already cut down the nets. They know they could do it, because in a real way, they already had.
