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Quotes from John Wooden

We will begin by learning how to tie our shoes.
~ John Wooden
A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.
~ John Wooden
Failure is not Fatal, but Failure to CHANGE can be.
~ John Wooden
Little things make the big things happen
~ John Wooden
Do not let what you can't do interfere with what you can do.
~ John Wooden
Measure yourself by...what you have accomplished with your ability
~ John Wooden
To win once you must have talent, but to win again you must have character.
~ John Wooden
Remember, results aren't the criteria for success — it's the effort made for achievement that is most important.
~ John Wooden
It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it. -John wooden
~ John Wooden
When opportunity comes, it's too late to prepare.
~ John Wooden
The problem with new is you don't have time for the old ones.
~ John Wooden
Sincerity may not help us make friends, but it will help us keep them.
~ John Wooden
It's always about focusing not on the mistakes but on the lessons learned from them.
~ John Wooden
Make each day a masterpiece.
~ John Wooden
Talent will get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
~ John Wooden
A coach's primary function should be not to make better players, but to make better people.
~ John Wooden
If I am through learning, I am through.
~ John Wooden
The goal in life is just the same as in basketball: make the effort to do the best you are capable of doing
~ John Wooden
Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: Did I make my best effort? That's what matters. The rest of it just gets in the way.
~ John Wooden
it is important to understand the purpose of criticism. Criticism is not meant to punish, but rather to correct something that is preventing better results. The only goal of criticism or discipline is improvement. You must keep that in mind and try to the best of your ability to use tact.
~ John Wooden
It is important for us to see that our mentors are human and therefore fallible; it makes our own shortcomings more tenable.
~ John Wooden
Coach Wooden didn't treat everybody the same; he treated people the way they deserved to be treated.
~ John Wooden
When opportunity knocks, it's too late to prepare.
~ John Wooden
Perfection is what you are striving for, but perfection is an impossibility. However, striving for perfection is not an impossibility. Do the best you can under the conditions that exist. That is what counts.
~ John Wooden