Wooden

John Wooden has been blessed with such wisdom and he has used this blessing to build up and influence millions of people, young and old. I have many books by John Wooden and even though I usually buy them sight unseen I know I will never be disappointed...and I never have. This particular book is jammed packed with wonderful, thought provoking quotes and stories. I will treasure this book, along with all his others, forever.

Early in my coaching career, I was looking for a "style" and "philosophy" to call my own. I heard about "Wooden" from a friend - I read it and I instantly connected with Coach Wooden's words and lessons. His approach to coaching as "teaching," both on and off the court, resonated with me and the way I wanted to coach.

When I first read the book, I immediately incorporated Coach Wooden's quotes into all my talks with my teams. They affectionately referred to "Wooden" as the "bible" and many of them all went out and bought their own copies.

Now, I present my players with a copy of "Wooden" as soon as they make the team. The ones that read it all come back with a twinkle in their eyes - its a look of joy and understanding. I don't quote from Coach Wooden as much as I used to - I've found my own "philosophy" and "style" - but, if I ever hit a rough patch, the first person I go back to is Coach Wooden and his teachings.

This book of reflections and advice by John Wooden is a favorite of my husband's, mine and our teen aged son. We purchased several copies to give as gifts to coaches in our soccer league. The principles in this book can be applied to ALL areas of life. The Leadership Pyramid is a very powerful tool.

John Wooden shares his thoughts about not only basketball but about life and how his seemingly "simple" views and beliefs shaped his success. He is a inspiration to us all and his values are much needed in today's world where we have seen scandals in almost every sport. I believe this book can be enjoyed by people who are old enough to have witnessed him coach as well as the youth who have only heard about Mr. Wooden.

A rival coach, one who had won championships,
described him as a very good coach,
a bit set in his ways, probably a better
offensive than defensive strategist. "John
was a heckuva offensive player in his day,
which may be why he runs an exciting offense
but a predictable defense."

John, the basketball coach being described above
by his peer, had at that time been a high school
and college basketball coach for 25 years,
the last 12 years at the same college.
He was 50 years old, and while he had never had
a losing season as a coach, he had also never
won a state or NCAA championship. Could
anyone have imagined at that point that John,
whose last name is Wooden, would over the next
15 years become the greatest college basketball
coach of all time, winning 10 NCAA titles?