Paul Salvo (staff)

August 4, 2014
Dear Betty Salvo and family,
Mrs. Salvo, I was saddened to hear of Coach Salvo’s passing. We all call him Salvo so that is how I will refer to him. He had such a significant impact on my life that I just had to drop you a note to let you and your family know about his influence on just one life. I am certain that my story can be repeated many times over.
There are four individuals who shaped my life – a sixth grade teacher, two high school basketball coaches and my high school football coach. Salvo is on the top of the list. I’ve been the President and CEO of three separate companies, two of them with over 800 employees. I have applied “Salvo” teachings in all of my business endeavors. I’m not going to list all of the Salvo teachings; I just want to say that he was completely dedicated to his team and to the individual players. He wasn’t afraid to call you out (even the star) if you needed it but he always did it in a respectful way (he wanted to build men, not tear down boys). He motivated with praise, not criticism. As I sit here today I can still see that warm smile; the smile that made you feel good about yourself. He made you work and showed you how hard work would pay off in the end.
I was a farm boy from Hooper with a burning desire to play high school sports. If there is one thing that Salvo inspired me with that allowed me to be successful as a high school athlete and as a business leader it was self confidence. I learned that if I could be a starter on a Salvo team with my average athletic ability, I could do just about anything. He just made you feel good about yourself and inspired you to do more.
A couple of years ago I was in Ogden and I hadn’t seen Salvo in probably forty years so I called him. I got his recording so I left a message. I told him that I didn’t know if he remembered me but that I would like to see him. He called me back in about five minutes and not only did he remember me but he reminded me of the game where I got 21 rebounds against ‘that big center from Hillcrest’ (I think Dutch still owes me a steak dinner for that one). I was astonished that after 47 years and with the many teams and players that he coached he would remember that specific game. We had lunch a couple of days later and he would talk, not only about specific games, but about things that occurred in practices. He talked about individual players and always with that warm smile and twinkle in his eyes. I am so happy that I was able to see him after all of those years. I just regret that I didn’t tell him how much he meant to me. I know that you must miss him very much. I just hope you take comfort in knowing that he had a positive impact on many lives and that the world is a better place because of him. He leaves a legacy that few of us will ever achieve.
Sincerely,

David Chambers
928.853.4334