Basketball coach John Woodan is a legend. This loud title always made him feel uncomfortable; he liked the name "teacher" more. And John R. Woodan was an unrivaled teacher. His teams repeatedly won the championships of the 60s and 70s, and when he died in 2010 at the age of 99, he left behind not only a rich sports heritage, but also endless life wisdom outside the sports field.
The greatest trainer of all time
American basketball coach legend John Wooden was born on October 14, 1910. His teams won 10 national championships over 12 years, of which seven in a row. John was a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961 as a player and in 1973 as a coach. He was the first person to ever realize both categories. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003. Interestingly John Wooden spoke about the difference between victory and success. With wise simplicity, he defines the concept of success and calls for the search for the best in himself. He said that you never need to strive to be better than someone, it is important to learn from others and not to stop trying to be better than you are.
What is success?
It is peace of mind, achieved only by self-satisfaction that all efforts have been made to do the best you are capable of. John believed that was true. No need to whine, complain and make excuses, just do what you need to the best of your abilities. This is important: if you regularly make efforts to do the best, then the result will not be long in coming. Victory is just a byproduct of the game, not its goal. The journey itself is important, not the destination.
John Wooden's Pyramid of Success
- Healthy competition. The greatest joy in the fight is the competitive spirit. The harder the battle, the better. Tough battle inspires and motivates. Competition with a worthy competitor takes it to a new level.
- Equilibrium. It’s important to just be yourself, not pretend to be someone else. Do not start and lose your temper, regardless of the circumstances or situation. Even if there is some pressure, leaders should not lose their balance and panic. You need to know who you are and be true to yourself. To be balanced means to adhere to your principles and beliefs and act in accordance with them.
- Confidence, according to trainer John Wood, is based on self-belief. Trust cannot be instilled artificially. Unshakable confidence will help you achieve your own level of competence, that is, excellence. However, this quality needs to be worked on, because it can easily turn into pride, which then can lead to erroneous and destructive beliefs.
- Adequate condition. All human conditions should be normal: physical, mental and moral. All three components are interconnected: in a weak mental or moral state, there can be no question of a good physical condition.
- Skills At the very center of the pyramid of success lies mastery. It doesn’t matter who you are: an athlete, a surgeon, or a CEO. It is important to be able to complete tasks correctly and quickly, and this requires skill. Wooden John really appreciated the experience, but would rather have more skill and less experience than the other way around. Mastering skills requires training, which is why leaders are lifelong learners. Mastery is an ongoing and ongoing process.
- Team spirit. This block of the pyramid affects the most important characteristics: disinterestedness, which is the opposite of egoism. John Woodan believed that sometimes you can give up personal fame or benefit for the common good, namely the well-being and success of an organization, team or group. No trainer would like to have a person on the team who would not want to sacrifice for the good of the team. Valuable is the player who thinks primarily about the success of the team.
- Self control. Getting to the top and staying there are several different tasks, they are unique and complex in their own way. To achieve something, you need to be able to control yourself. This characteristic in the pyramid of success reflects the importance of self-control in all areas and avoiding emotional peaks. John Woodan said that you need to control yourself so that others do not have to do it instead of you.
- Vigilance. You can learn many things if you develop alertness. As for basketball, even the athlete’s ears participate in the game. Vigilance is important both in life and in business. This asset makes it difficult to oversleep an important moment and increases skill.
- Initiative. Inaction is the biggest failure of all. Initiative is the ability to act. None of the people is perfect, but you need to train yourself not to be afraid of failure. This is true in all areas of life.
- Industriousness. Success does not come to people just like that: in order to achieve something in life, you need to work hard. Sports journalist and poet Grantland Riesa called hard work the fundamental characteristic of any achievement.
- Friendship. Two important qualities are respect and camaraderie. Where friendship exists, there are all the makings for a strong team.
- Loyalty. This is an essential quality of the personality of a leader who strives to achieve high goals. This is true almost everywhere. The vast majority of people want to be part of the team whose leadership cares about them, provides justice and respect for dignity.
- Cooperation. The exchange of ideas and information, responsibility and creativity are priorities among leaders and their teams. This is called collaboration. You are not the only person who has good ideas; others also have brains.
- Enthusiasm. The two cornerstones in the pyramid of success, hard work and enthusiasm, providing strength individually, are capable of much more when combined into one. Hard work alone is not enough, there must be something else that will kindle, inspire and raise labor to a high level. This fire will be enthusiasm. This ingredient, which turns hard work into something very serious, is the engine that powers all the blocks of the pyramid.
John Wood: Quotes That Inspire
- "He who does nothing is not mistaken."
- "Misfortune is a state during which a person recognizes himself, not being besieged by fans."
- “It's better to worry about your character than your reputation, because character is what you really are, and your reputation is what others think of you.”
- “You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who can never reciprocate.”
- "What kind of person are you, much more important than what kind of basketball player you are."
- “A coach is one who can correct without causing resentment.”
- “I would rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.”
- “The important thing is not what you do, but how you do it.”
- "Abilities are the wealth of the poor."
- “Initially, you need to consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.”
- "It doesn’t matter who starts the game, it is important who finishes it."
- “Small details are vital. Big things are done with the help of little things. ”
- “Success comes after realizing that you have done everything in your power to become the best.”
- “Success is never final, failure is not fatal. Courage matters too. ”
- “Do not confuse activity with achievement.”
- “A true test of a person’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
- “The best a father can do for his children is to love their mother.”
- "An ability can help climb to the top, but it takes character to stay there."
- "Happiness begins where selfishness ends."
- "Being a role model is the most powerful teaching factor that fathers too often neglect."
- “The most important thing in the world is family and love.”
- “Young people need examples, not critics.”
Great tips from a legendary trainer
- “Never make excuses. "Your friends do not need this, and your enemies will not believe it anyway."
- “You always have to be true to yourself.”
- "Every day, take it as your masterpiece."
- “Help others.”
- “Enjoy good books.”
- "Make friends with the visual arts."
- “You have to be prepared and be honest.”
- "Be quick, but take your time."
- "Build a shelter for a rainy day."
- “Pray and give thanks for every day you live.”
- “Don't let the past take too much of your present.”
- "You can't program yourself to fail."
- “Listen yourself if you want to be heard.”
- “Never try to be better than anyone. Learn from others and try to be the best. Success is a byproduct of good preparation. ”
- "Do not let making a living interfere with your life."
- “Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who will argue with you.”
- “Learn as if you will live forever, live as if you were to die tomorrow.”
- "Do not blame yourself. This is the worst kind of defeat from which you can suffer for a very long time. "
The Four Laws of Woodan Learning
- Demonstration of what you want.
- Criticism of the demonstration.
- Imitation of the correct model.
- Repeat, over and over until the necessary skill is brought to automatism.
Legend Biography: Youth
John Wood was born on a farm where there was neither running water nor electricity, money was often not enough. In later years, the coach admitted that the habits, discipline and hard work that he learned on the farm helped him achieve success. In 1924, the Wuden family, like many other households, was devastated and lost their farm. The family moved to Martinsville, a small town in Indiana. At a local school, John played on the school basketball team and soon became her star. The team took part in the state championship for three consecutive years and won it twice.
Teaching career
While still in school, John met Nelly Riley. In his own words, it was love at first sight, and two teenagers decided to get married after graduating from college. John Wood enrolled at Purdue University in Indiana as an ASG Engineer, but instead became an English major. At the university basketball team, he earned a reputation as a fast and fearless player who did everything to win the team. After graduating from university in 1932, he was offered a place in the playoff series in a professional basketball team, but he refused to start a teaching career and marry his sweetheart Nelly.
Coaching career
His first post was in Dayton, Kentucky, where he not only taught English at school, but also coached all the school’s sports teams. Over the eleven years of coaching, basketball teams won 218 matches, and only 42 were lost. The young coach served as a physical education instructor in the US Navy during World War II. After serving in the army, John quickly found work at Indiana College. He coached the basketball team at school, resuming a series of winning seasons.
In 1948, the school coach accepted the offer to become the UCLA Bruins coach, then one of the weakest teams in the Pacific Conference. To the amazement of skeptics, 22 of 29 games were won in his first season as a coach. The following year they took 24 of the 31 games and won the conference championship. Under the tutelage of Woodan, the team maintained a high winning ratio and won the titles of the Pacific Conference in 1952, 1956, 1962 and 1963. In 1964, she spent a great season winning the NCAA Championship. The following year they won the title again, losing only two games. In a modified composition, the team returned to the sports field with a vengeance in 1967 and held the title for the next seven years.
Coach and philosopher
For all the years of his work as a coach, John forbade his players to use profanity. One of his players, an African American, answering a journalist’s question about racial tensions in the team, said: “You don’t know our coach. He does not see the color. He just sees the players.” John Wooden, whose aphorisms are still relevant today, remained with many of his former players for many years after retirement.
He died peacefully in Los Angeles at the age of 99. His influence went far beyond the hometown thanks to his work and his life. He really was a legend of his time, a great role model, the greatest trainer, philosopher and exceptional personality that goes beyond the sports world.