Move your feet…

“Move your feet, box out, take good shots and you can say ‘NEXT!’ “

- Bo Ryan

Bo Ryan knows what it takes

This quote is inscribed on the inside cover of my personal copy of Bo Ryan’s book, “Another Hill to Climb”. My father and I are longtime Wisconsin Badger fans and Dad waited in line for hours at a Bo Ryan book signing to request this specific “Bo-ism” and gave the book to me for my birthday. I just finished it over the Thanksgiving holiday and tonight, I just got done watching Bo coach the Badgers to another amazing last-second win against a tough Virginia Tech team to start the season 6-1.

This quote has dual meaning for me. Ever since my freshman year in college, I’ve been what many people call a ‘gym-rat’, meaning I’ve played a lot of pickup basketball and I’m always looking for the next game. I’ve even been known to recruit a janitor or convince someone who is on the treadmill to join us in order to get enough players for a full court run.

In pickup basketball, the ‘winners stay’, meaning the winning team keeps possession of the court and the losers have to wait their turn to play again after any waiting teams get a chance. Also, the games are usually played to a ‘quick’ score of 11 or 15 points, so the little things definitely make the difference between winning and losing. Players boxing out for key rebounds and hurrying back on defense usually means the difference between keeping the court (and saying “NEXT”) or sitting and waiting.

The quote is also applicable to business …and to life.

“Move your feet” means to always keep moving, learning, thinking and doing. But don’t confuse motion for progress. In basketball and in business, being in the right place at the right time is occasionally due to luck but more often the result of preparation, practice and an accurate prediction of what is coming next.

“Take good shots” means you have to take shots in the first place. Take chances. Take risks. But be selective and know your strengths. For a 6’8” power forward, a good shot is probably a drop step and a bank off the glass from two feet away from the rim. For a 5’9” point guard, a good shot may be a wide open 3-pointer from 21 feet out. Good shots are different depending on an individual’s strengths.

“You can say NEXT” means you win. In basketball, it means you won and get to play the ‘next’ team that’s waiting. In business, maybe it means you vanquished a competitor but more likely you were able to realize a level of success and you get to tackle your next idea or challenge.

Bo Ryan knows success. Before being head coach at Wisconsin, he paid his dues for over 25 years. From 1984 until 1999 he coached UW-Platteville to a 352–76 overall record, a winning percentage of 82%. Ryan guided the UW-Platteville Pioneers to four national championships in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999.

Bo Ryan’s tenacity, work ethic, perseverance and longevity is something that Cerebral Element hopes to emulate.

Someday, we plan to say “NEXT”.