SPRINGFIELD — When Norris Cole II came to South Hadley in 2006, he wanted to challenge himself, not just as a basketball player, but in life.
He learned lessons in both that he still uses today.
Cole, a two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat, was the keynote speaker Friday as P.L.A.Y. Inc. (Planned Learning Achievement for Youth program) celebrated its 25th anniversary.
The current New Orleans Pelicans guard was at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame where he spoke eloquently about his experiences 10 years ago when he attended the program at Mount Holyoke College.
P.L.A.Y., which is based in Amherst, was founded in 1990 by Northampton resident Dennis S. Jackson. The two-week program is unique in that in addition to basketball, campers learn skills they are able to use in everyday life.
“They taught us things like how to tie a tie, how to set a table and how to hold a baby,” Cole said. “Those were things I had never done before and what I learned are things that I carry with me to this day.”
Cole had never been to the East Coast prior to coming to South Hadley a decade ago. He noticed people talked differently than they did in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio.
“We learned different cultures and lingos from the many different personalities,” Cole said. “We were together all day and we drew strength from each other.”
He quickly became a sponge and soaked in all that he could, be it on the basketball court or in the classroom. Cole went on to an outstanding career at Cleveland State — athletically and academically — before he embarked on his NBA career.
“I wanted to be a well-rounded person,” said Cole, who was the salutatorian of his class at Dunbar High School in Dayton. “Back home, I saw kids who were either jocks or nerds and I thought ‘why can’t I be both.’”
Cole played hard, but he also studied hard, realizing that if his hoop dreams did not take him to the NBA, he would use his degree to put himself in position to succeed.
“I liked to play ball, but I liked doing my homework after school,” said Cole, who graduated with a degree in Health Science. “There’s nothing wrong with being smart and being able to put on sneakers and a T-shirt and going out and playing sports.”
Following the press conference, Cole spoke to students at the Rebecca Johnson School. He also took in the Coach John B. McLendon Memorial Scholarship Game at American International College. The senior all-star game included Amherst Regional standout Devonte’ McCall.
McLendon was responsible for the integration of college basketball.
P.L.A.Y. “got started locally with a group of 15 kids from Springfield and what we were trying to do was build rapport with the local community,” said Jackson, who at the time worked at Hampshire College. “Now Norris has come back to share his experience.”
Cole grew close to his fellow campers, who numbered around 60 from all parts of the country.
“We developed a special bond,” Cole said. “We knew we had to lean on each other. If someone wasn’t a morning person, we made sure he was up in time to go to class.”
There were coaches for different aspects of the game and the individual attention each camper received was invaluable.
“The hook is the basketball, but the purpose of them coming is the academics and the life-long skills,” Jackson said. “We include a number of seminars and workshops to address topical issues and concerns facing young men in today’s society.”
It was very different for Cole.
“I had never been to a national camp where I had to go to class,” Cole said. “I took those skills to high school, college and the NBA. I learned so much from Coach Jackson.”