Today marks the opening of training camp for the Philadelphia 76ers. For the first time ever it will be held here at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center, where it will end six days from now.

On March 19, 1996, the 76ers organization took a sharp turn for the better when a man by the name of Pat Croce convinced Harold Katz, the owner of the 76ers at the time, to sell Croce the team. Since that day the 76ers organization as well as the city of Philadelphia never looked back.

The building of the First Union Center, the drafting of one of the most exciting players in the game in Allen Iverson, hiring one of the most brilliant minds in the game in head coach Larry Brown as well as the very crafty general manager Billy King along with a savvy marketing department has led to back-to-back playoff appearances and the rebirth of professional basketball in the city of Philadelphia.

Normally, success of such magnitude can't be attributed to one single source; rather, it usually stems from the collective effort of many. But in regarding the revival of the 76ers, that simply is just not the case.

Had Croce not taken over the 76ers when he did, the 76ers would still be at the bottom of the Atlantic division with a talent-deprived roster and quickly depleting fan base.

Croce graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1977 and went on to become the Philadelphia Flyers conditioning coach in 1980. Just a few years later he went on to open up his own physical therapy center starting off with such high profile clients as Julius Erving and Mike Schmidt.

By 1993, Croce had opened up 40 centers in 11 different states, enabling him to sell the chain and purchase the Philadelphia 76ers.

"I own the Philadelphia 76ers — my home team — the team I grew up with and eventually worked for," Croce said. " It's like the janitor suddenly owns Disney World. How can this be?

"I'm the guy who used to tape the players' ankles. Now I sign their paychecks."

There are countless success stories of self-made millionaires like Croce that you hear of everyday. But the one thing that separates Croce from the rest of the people on earth is his attitude.

"Every morning when I wake up, it's rise-and-shine time. I rise up on the edge of my bed and slap a shine on my mind. Sitting with my feet flat on the floor, I clap my hands together, rub my palms and say, 'It's going to be a great day!' "

It is that kind of attitude that made Pat Croce what he is today, the president and part owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, a former international karate champ, a husband, and a proud father of two.

On July 17, 1999, Croce and some of his buddies set out on a coast-to-coast motorcycle trip starting in Ocean City, N.J. Barely after the trip began, tragedy struck when Croce, due to rain, pulled over to the side of the road and was hit by one of his fellow bikers.

Croce had broken his leg in 10 different places, requiring numerous surgeries to repair it. The sports news shows as well as the newspapers covered the accident and in every report, Croce would either be smiling or talking about the positive side of the accident, never once feeling sorry for himself.

When I sprained my ankle on the first day of school this year, I called my parents and whined to them about how hard it was going to be getting to class on crutches. This guy breaks his leg in 10 different places, which almost required amputation, and never appeared to have one negative thought cross his mind.

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." The words spoken by one of the greatest writers of all time, Ralph Waldo Emerson, are words that Pat Croce lives by. Those are words that everyone on this campus should live by as well.

It is Croce's infectious positive attitude and enthusiasm that has propelled him to success in every aspect of his life. I believe if everyone had a little Pat Croce in them, then they, too, could get an A on that next exam, raise a record amount of money for the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon or achieve anything else one sets out to do.

Maybe tomorrow you won't jump out of your bed, clap your hands and wake up your roommate by yelling, "It's going to be a great day!" but just imagine what your life would be like if you did just that and meant it.