Like you I have been collecting John Wooden's Wisdom to pass along to the players my husband will be helping this coming season. Here is what I have assembled thus far:

John Wooden Wisdom
Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?

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.

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.

Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.

If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I am positive that a doer makes mistakes.

The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.

You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

Never mistake activity for achievement.

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

Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow.

Don’t give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you

What you are as a person is far more important that what you are as a basketball player.

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but what you should have accomplished with your ability.

Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.

I feel sad and suprised! I learn critical things from John Wooden.

Coach John Wooden was truly a legend, RIP All his sayings are valuable, its hard for me to pick out a favourite; i like his definition of success; "Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming"

The basketball community has lost its true leader. He taught us all how to coach and build true relationships with players which is the real key to success.

He won with all kinds of different teams and talent, but kept his message simple. Get in shape, learn the fundamentals, play hard, and play together.

It was a blessing to be influenced by Coach Wooden's example even at a great distance. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

the basketball world will never forget what coach john contributed!! It's a great loss, but his legacy in basketball will live on through his teachings!!!

This was awesome. I could not agree more with his philosophy. What a positive role model and leader he was. His impact in life will live forever. He dared to make a difference in people and I can think of no greater reward. Thank you John and God Bless.

I learn critical things from Coach Wooden. but the most important I think is to try to oneself. I think Karis B says:
it the best in comment and no used repeating it. RIP the great basketball playground

Coach John Wooden was a unique person. He was a teacher first and a coach second. If you have a chance to listen to his former players they will tell you that the most important things he taught were life leasons. He will be missed.

I can always remember rooting against his UCLA teams in 60s and 70s. They were just too dominant... but ultimately conceding to the fact, there will never be as great of a coach or man for that matter! I am now a big John Wooden fan and try to implement some of his philosophy with my players and my students.

I often gave John Wooden credit for this quote: "Be quick but don't be in a hurry"!

I hope I was not incorrect for giving him credit for that phrase.

Thanks for the quotes...

No videos to open??????????

C'est une très grande perte pour le Basket Ball.
Je suis agé de 63ans et j'ai souvenirs de toute l'épopée Universitaire de John WOODEN.
Pour me consoler de cette perte, et je me refère à l'expression "Va ou tu veus meurs ou tu dois".
Ne soyons pas triste car son oeuvre restera Là pour nous rappeller à son bon souvenir.
Merci Mr J.WOODEN
G.I.

a triple double,
a shut out,
a perfect game,

the life of John Wooden

We are all going to miss a great coach and even better human being. The world HAS been a better place for having Johnny Wooden in our lives.

Coach Sar

i learned many things from coach john.. his words are like diamonds that are so expensive and hard to find so we must keep them not by mind but also through by heart. this is my simple words for everyone " PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH and LOVE YOUR JOB "

as an alumni of UCLA, there is great sadness in the passing of John Wooden. Never met the man, but his name just brings happy images of UCLA whether you were into sports or not. YOU can't say one without the other, as an alumni a piece of you is gone too. I lost my dad in January, but something about the loss of Mr Wooden saddens and feels personal too.
i find ot very hard to hold back the tears, but I do (at work).
Mr Wooden is a legend, a father to all who walked at campus, I just can't imagine the sadness that is felt at home, john's home, my home, bruins home.
you will be missed and loved Mr Wooden

I learned to Win with Humility & Lose with Dignity because of Legendary Coach John Wooden.

Coach Wooden Create Code of Ethics, that's our Strength. My dear Coaches, Players & Parents will make the world a little better place than we found it.

In closing, I wish to empathize rather than sympathize with basketball world.

Legendary Coach John Wooden ("Papa,") live our hearts FOREVER

Proud to say I met Coach Wooden and shook his hand. One of the most memorable days of my life. I was 8 years old and will never forget how much in awe I was at meeting him. Growing up in L.A., UCLA basketball ruled our world, and he was such a great ambassador for UCLA and the game of basketball. I have always followed his positive examples in my youth coaching and will continue to do so.

John Wooden is my reason for living.

When I was growing up in Westwood, where the campus of UCLA is located, I never missed a televised UCLA basketball game coached by the Wizard of Westwood , John Wooden. Never! I saw every single game.

John Wooden is the greatest coach in any sport all time that I''m aware of. I have had an impressive array of coaches in my back ground, being a professional athlete and coach in several sports, but none that have influence me as much as John Wooden.

My only wish now is that, where ever you are John, you accept our honorary founders membership in our National Basketball Shooters Association and watch over us from above as we bestowe many of our students with the same character traits you possess and taught us.

It turns out, today, I ended up teaching and coaching the very skill in basketball that John was a champion in as a player and that is free throw mastery. He owns the consecutive record at the professional level of competition of 136 in a row.

I am Jim "Makevery" Schatz. I''m the author of the unpublished e-book, "The Guide To Free Throw Mastery - Beyond Expectation" and the Chairman of The National Basketball Shooters Assocition. (NBSA) Go to www.nbsafreethrows.org

The great coaches are just great teachers whose example off an on the court provide eternal lessons. Thanks, to another great coach.

Proud to say I spent a half hour one early morning at a Final Four talking hoops with Coach Wooden. His gentle demeanour loaded with knowledge was very evident. I sent my copy of Practical Modern Basketball to him , he sent me a personal message and a signed Pyramid Of Success both of which I cheerish today. My prayers are with his family. Our game has lost a very " Tall" man

When I started coaching basketball in l968, the first book that I purchased, was Practical Modern Basketball by John Wooden, which was published in 1966 by Ronald Press. The Wooden philosophy and basketball system initiated me into coaching; I have been coaching for 43 years now, and I am essentially "woodenish"; even though, I had studied all the other legends like: Pete Newell, Dean Smith, Bob Knight, etc. Coach John Wooden taught virtues and dealt with the person aside from basketball. Indeed, "where can you find such splendid company." He has left this world physically but "so long as men live and eyes can see, so long lives Wooden and his wisdom, his deeds, his being in me."

I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Coach Wooden at a Coaches Basketball Camp in River Falls, WI. in 1975. We had an uninterupted 15 minute conversation and it was there that I found out I was on the right track in my dealings with young players and students. It was a precious 15 minutes indeed. Thank you and GOD Bless Coach and enjoy your visit with Nell.

wow

his teachings helped my dribbling a lot
very sad

Every once in a while a coach comes along with a one in a million heart, a complete moral man who brings out the best in people. A teacher through and through. That's why the legacy of John Wooden has lived on and will continue to gain momentum.

Hi Den. S,

Here are the links to the youtube videos if you can not view them here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MM-psvqiG8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvX0fkEp0cs

The world has lost a legend,but his teachings will always be a source of inspiration for the Basketball lovers specially the coaches. I have learned a lot from his pyramid of success and his awesome philosophy.My thoughts and prayers are with the family.

He's word are not only inspiring for Basketball, but in Life.

I've was in the Army, a Native Dance group leader as well as coaching and his quotes have always helped and help inspire!

My fellow coach and I painted the pyramid of success on the locker room wall for our junior high boys basketball team. We discussed the various steps and the players would reach up (or jump up) and touch success on the way out to the court. We would even tell the team, "OK, now lets get out there and touch success." John Wooden was the greatest coach ever in the college game- not just because of the X and O's, but because of how he treated his players and how he helped them grow and become men. Big loss for us, but he lived a full and long life.

i still use master John Wooden's philosophy of CONDITIONING, FUNDAMENTALS AND TEAM WORK ever since I read two of his books. The teams and the players whom i worked with since 1990 got some lessons and thoughts from JW. His teachings made me enjoy 10 years with school graders, 2 years college varsitarians and 5 years high school cagers. Now I'm back with 10 and 12 years olds. Its fun time again coaching kids the John Wooden's way.

Deepest sympathies. loss of John Wooden is irrecoverable. A tribute for the great service he did for BB. I am saving his quotes for future reference.

Thank you for posting videos and links. Every now and again I get my priorities mixed up or forget how to go about a course of action without comprimising my values.
It's the John Wooden's of the world who show us through their example that nice guys don't always finish last.
Basketball does not have to be coached with a cutthroat attitude. I recently thanked one of our basketball organizations for caring enough to promote the value of character development as well as athletic performance.
Well done guys!

something he said re athletics such as=== "you can never succeed or learn by sitting on the bench"==has shaped my entire 40 year coaching career in toronto/ontario

I THINK JOHN WAS A GREAT MAN EVER TO LIVE AND DIVOTED ALL HIS TIME FOR ENCOURAGING PEOPLE LIKE ME THROUGH HIS WORDS SUCH AS THESE. "There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile results come from hard work and careful planning."

he was a great man and may his soul rest in peace..Amen

Reading through the quotes of John Wooden allowed me to realize how great he lived his life. A perfect example of SERVICE.

In one of the opening pages of our Basketball Master Plan is this quote from Coach John Wooden: "Success is peace of mind, whish is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." Thank you Coach, thank you.

Awesome quotes, thank you guys for everything!

I have read two of John Wooden's books, and I appreciate his love for his players most. One thing that I have always remembered that I pass on to my players is to take care of your feet. Coach Wooden said he always made sure his players had socks and they knew how to put their shoes on correctly and not allow their socks to bunch up. Taking care of their feet was the their first lesson in becoming good ball players. I could go on, but I think that shows how much he cared. We will miss you, Coach Wooden, but your legacy will be forever.

once during the NCAA Basketball Tourney back in the late 80's early 90's they were asking him about anyone doing what he done with the 10 straight titles and he says, in perfect John Wooden CLASS and being the HUMBLE HUMAN he is and was says "gentleman let me tell you I'm in awe of Dan Gable's record" which flooded everyone and they all had that WTF do we say now look on their faces ... i wish i could find that clip , it's out there somewhere, but again pure class, what a fine and wise human being R.I.P. Mr. John Wooden