Originally, NSSA meant The National Sportscasters & Sportswriters Awards, a program started in Salisbury, N.C., in 1959. From that program developed the National Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association and the NSSA Hall of Fame.

This Hall of Fame officially started in 1962, when our late, great friend and world-renowned sportswriters “Red” Smith inducted his friend, the legendary Grantland Rice. His voice cracked just a bit – and he later said he knew that would happen – when he commented, “Who knows what will become of this Hall of Fame? It might never be heard from again. No matter. It cannot be improved. For it is perfect tonight with only Granny enshrined.”

Red spoke with great warmth and devotion. Three of “The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame,” made famous by Grantland Rice, attended and spoke. The evening was packed with emotion and it became clear that this Hall of Fame was different and it was important and it must be protected and developed with great care.

Hardly anyone is still alive who actually knew Grantland Rice. He was both sportswriters and sportscaster before the days of television. Few know that he was also a poet. Perhaps his most famous poem is:

When the one great scorer

Comes to mark against your name

He writes not that you won or lost,

But how you played the game.

Several years later, here to accept the national sportscaster award, Lindsey Nelson spoke at the high school athletic diner in neighboring Spencer. For 40 minutes he gave those youngsters his very best sports stories and humor, including his delightful imitation of Casey Stengel. Then, as if by magic, his stories turned serious, and, like a great Shakespearian actor in a command performance before royalty, he delivered a stunning recitation of Rudyard Kipling’s inspiring poem, If.

Mr. Kipling would have been proud. It was several moments before anyone spoke or moved. Later, Lindsey remarked that just the night before he had been the guest speaker for 500 distinguished people honoring the governor of Florida. He added, “I would truly rather speak to youngsters. Perhaps I have more to offer them.”

This event became well known and, a few years later, Keith Jackson, the president of the national association, and his board of directors voted to this Hall of Fame to youth and to base the theme for this Hall of Fame on Kipling’s poem, If.

They went further. In keeping with the dedication to youth, they established categories for the induction of athletes from all sports, and former athletes from all walks of life, and even events and moments in sports, each of which must have a special inspirational quality.

The die was cast. This Hall of Fame is different. Only the NSSA Hall of Fame is dedicated to youth and this Hall of Fame will promote no sport, yet it covers all sports. It has no commercial message, yet it covers all walks of life. And all of that is important for in this day of astonishingly spectacular progress, it is all too easy to lose a youngster to confusion, fear and temptation.

Those of us who have wound up on the plus side of life have been lucky that somewhere, somehow we were given the inspiration to simply stand up and try and the courage and strength to hang on.

So that is what the NSSA Hall of Fame is about. Here youngsters – and grownups too, can find fun and excitement, and they can also find inspiration, courage, strength and determination. They can learn that each of us is important, that each of us should stand up and try. Kipling did not say you must weigh 300 pounds, run the fastest mile or hit the most home runs. Just do your very best. And Grantland Rice did not even insist that you win.

Rudyard Kipling meant his words for every one of us. So did Grantland Rice and Red and Lindsey and Keith and all the rest.