The Grand Valley welcomed one of the most inspirational speakers in sports onto campus last week.

Don Meyer, who accumulated 923 career victories as a D2 and NAIA men’s basketball coach made his second trip to Grand Junction this year by invitation from good friend and admirer Jamie Hamilton, CMU’s former athletic director.

Meyer has been recognized for his battle with cancer and devastating injury during his lifetime. After health issues led him to retire in 2010, he decided to share his knowledge and experience with the world as a motivational speaker. He tells his listeners what traits are necessary to be successful in sports and in life.

“My conferences are based around servant leadership and making tough decisions,” Meyer said. “What we’re teaching is sound, solid, and simple, and that is process over product. The product is going to be good if the process is good.”

Thursday was the day-long event in which Meyer addressed guests from the community about the principles of athletic coaching and how it applies to business. Meyer used situations that arose throughout his coaching career to relate to the audience and connected them to the difficult instances that people in positions of leadership come across in their work. He also held an extra presentation for the student-athletes on Friday.

During Friday’s speech, he covered the importance of positivity and being sure that your surroundings include supportive people.

“He did a good job of mixing humor with really powerful life lessons,” junior Dan Estes, starting guard for the men’s basketball team, said. “He definitely made a strong impression on me. It was one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard.”

Meyer’s trip to CMU was his final leadership conference of the year, and was happy to conclude his efforts at the university. He also lauded the school for its progress since his first visit to Grand Junction in 1970 as an assistant coach for Lipscomb University.

“Facility-wise, CMU is at a level that everyone in Division II wants to be at,” Meyer said. “If I was a young coach, I would want to get a job coaching here.”

mfreter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu