John Wooden is one of those rare individuals that transcended his own field of coaching becoming one of the most influential people of all time. I mean that sincerely. His teams won championships in the 60's and 70's yet was as viable then as he was until he recently passed on. John Wooden isn't a once in a generation person I would say he is a once in a lifetime person. He changed coaching and basketball forever and in so doing transcended to other sports. His philosophies can be used by any coach. And yet that still doesn't do him justice, he transcended sports as well, his pyramid of success can be used as a model for life.
My dad used to tell over and over how great Wooden was. Then I decided to research him and was even more impressed. In many ways I model a lot of what I do after his philosophies. Now I am not nearly as good but the idea to do your best no matter what is one I firmly believe. The thing that really sets Wooden apart though is that he was always much more concerned with his players developing into men not ball players. I am fond of saying I would take a C student that is a good person over an A student that is a jerk any day. He taught values and principles in his coaching such as confidence, cooperation, loyalty, hard work, initiative, etc... Here is a copy of his famous pyramid of success. If you haven't looked at it you will see just how impressive it is.
Quick anecdote: last night as I was watching the Golf Fix, the host Micheal Breed took a few minutes to talk about the passing of John Wooden. He went on to encourage everyone to read his books. I smiled as I had just gone to the library and checked one out. Transcendent. What other basketball coach nearly 40 years removed would be quoted on the golf channel. Wooden is proof that the best teachers/coaches don't just teach their subject, they inspire you to do better in life. Thank you John Wooden for living what you taught and making everyone who met you want to be better.
Here are some of my favorite Woodenisms:
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
Don’t mistake activity for achievement
True success comes only to an individual by self-satisfaction in knowing that you gave everything to become the very best that you are capable of.
Don’t be afraid to work hard enough to find out just how great you can be.
Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of knowing you gave it your all in becoming the very best you could be.
Success is not a destination but a journey
Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are
If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?
It isn't what you do, but how you do it.
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do
Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.
You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.
You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one.
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