Quotes from John Wooden

A mentor must always guide, never push. It was my job to listen to them, offer my perspective, and encourage them to pursue the ideals they believed to be true.

Don't be afraid to fail. The greatest failure of all is not to act when action is needed.

If a player appeared to be taking it easy in practice, I told him, Don't think you can make up for it by working twice as hard tomorrow. If you have it within your power to work twice as hard, why aren't you doing it now?

Don't mistake activity for achievement. To produce results, tasks must be well organized and properly executed; otherwise, it's no different from children running around the playground—everybody is doing something, but nothing is being done; lots of activity, no achievement.

A strong leader accepts blame and gives the credit. A weak leader gives blame and accepts the credit.

I thought treating everyone the same was being fair and impartial. Gradually I began to suspect that it was neither fair nor impartial. In fact, it was just the opposite. That's when I began announcing that team members wouldn't be treated the same or alike; rather, each one would receive the treatment they earned and deserved.

I wanted to win every single game I ever played in or coached. Absolutely. I wanted to win. But, I understood that ultimately the winning or losing may not be under my control. What was under my control was how I prepared myself and our team. I judged my success, my "winning," on that. It just made more sense.

Sposobnost može da te dovede na vrh al da bi opstao na vrhu, potreban ti je karakter.

there are no big things, only a logical accumulation of little things done at a very high standard of performance.

Coach Wooden never mentioned winning. It was always, "Fellas, we've got to play to our best. Let's do that." That's a lot different from saying, "Fellas, we've got to win." A lot different.

During the toughest challenges in my life I've come to most appreciate all Coach Wooden means to me. The things he would say—"Don't lie, don't cheat, don't steal, don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses; worry about the things you can control, and not the things you can't"—were endless. Yet there is an appropriate one for every situation. The real

Lincoln himself once said, "The worst things you can do for those you love are the things they could and should do for themselves." He fiercely believed in self-sufficiency, and in the maturity and character that struggles and hardships can bring.

Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece.

The locker rooms were clean when we departed because I asked the players to pick up after themselves. I believe this is just common courtesy. Somebody's going to have to clean it up, and I see no reason why it shouldn't be the person who messed it up.

The heights by great men reached and kept, Were not attained by sudden flight. But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upward in the night." –Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Joy makes the longest journey too short.

Competitiveness must be focused exclusively on the process of what you are doing rather than the result of that effort (the so-called winning or losing).

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.

The worst things you can do for the ones you love are the things they could and should do for themselves"—and

Succeeding is performing at your best when your best is required

Its what you learn when you know it all that counts

happier. The best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.

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.

So often we fail to acknowledge what we have because we're so concerned about what we want.