John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Woodenwas an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood," as head coach at UCLA he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period, including a record seven in a row. No other team has won more than two in a row. Within this period, his teams won a men's basketball-record 88 consecutive games. Wooden was named national coach of the year six times...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth14 October 1910
CountryUnited States of America
For an athlete to function properly, he must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.
A knowledge of and the ability to properly and quickly execute the fundamentals. Be prepared and cover every little detail.
One of my constant reminders is, 'End practice on a happy note.' I want the boys to want to come out to practice; and I want them to get a certain amount of pleasure. ..lt's a game. It should be fun. So I always try to counterbalance my criticism in practice with a bit of praise. I want my players to feel that the worst punishment I can give them is to deny them the privilege of practicing. If they do not want to practice, I do not want them there.
There is no great fun, satisfaction, or joy derived from doing something that's easy.
A coach's primary function should be not to make better players, but to make better people
If you spend too much time learning the 'tricks' of the trade, you may not learn the trade. There are no shortcuts. If you're working on finding a short cut, the easy way, you're not working hard enough on the fundamentals. You may get away with it for a spell, but there is no substitute for the basics. And the first basic is good, old fashioned hard work.
Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out
Quickness under control is the most valuable physical aspect of any sport, ... I wanted more strengthening of the long, supple muscles. I wasn't just looking for strength.
Better than any person my age has a right to,
Ben has really embraced the tradition of the program, and growing up in Southern California, he understands what it really means. To see him teaching those same principles to his players just gives me a lot of pride.
Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others thinkyou are.
Bill, I know what the other schools say. If you come to UCLA, I can't promise you'll make our team,
Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but what you should have accomplished with your ability.