Tribute to the late, great John Wooden, a man we could all learn from.

[BillyB]

John Wooden just past away and he will probably be remembered as the best collegiate basketball coach in history due to his achievements on the court but his greatest achievement is becoming the man he was. He was a man of principle and of the highest integrity and great men throughout history like him affect many lives and future generations in positive ways through their words and actions.

He reminds me of Ronald Reagan who wrote his wife love letters all thoughout their marriage. Coincidentally John Wooden died at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. John wrote his wife a love letter every month til the day he died at age 99 even though his wife died 25 years ago. His wife was the only girl he ever kissed and dated

In his first year at Indiana State, Wooden's team won the Indiana Collegiate Conference title and received an invitation to the NAIB tournament in Kansas City. Wooden, who had a black player on his team, refused the invitation because the NAIB had a policy banning African Americans.

John Wooden had many words of wisdom and here are some of my favorites:

Perform at your best when your best is required. Your best is required everyday.

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

Have the utmost concern for what's right rather than who's right

Good values attract good people

Emotion is your enemy.

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.

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

Confidence: The strongest steel is well-founded self belief. It is earned, not given.

Ability may get you to the top, but character keeps you there-mental, moral, and physical.

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive a doer makes mistakes.

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

The star of the team is the team. 'We' supercedes 'Me'

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

John Wooden tried to live by the advice from his father "Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books — especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day."

John was a humble man and had a poem framed on his wall to remind himself everyday the great responsibility he had to his children and his students. With the poem there was a photo of a man walking along the shore with the son walking in his father's footsteps before the waves washes them away.

The Little Chap Who Follows Me!
Author: Unknown


A careful man I want to be;
A little fellow follows me.
I do not dare to go astray
For fear he’ll go the self same way.

I cannot once escape his eyes,
Whate’er he sees me do, he tries.
Like me he says he’s going to be;
The little chap who follows me.

He thinks that I’m so very fine,
Believes in every word of mine.
The base in me he must not see;
The little chap who follows me.

I must remember as I go
Through summer’s sun and winter’s snow,
I’m building for the years to be;
The little chap who follows me.

I like to read famous quotes of great people in history especially quotes that deal with wisdom. John Wooden has a book out that some may be interested in reading.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Wisdom-of-Wooden/John-Wooden/e/9780071751162/?itm=2&USRI=wisdom+of+wooden

This is my tribute to John Wooden. We all can't be like John Wooden or live like him but we can still take a part of him and his legacy everywhere we go in our hearts and minds. I hope we all can learn from his actions, absorb his words of wisdom, apply it to our lives and most importantly, pass it on.

[seraphimangel]

I went to UCLA.  I just came back from dropping off flowers at an impromptu ceremony area.  John Wooden, was a great basketball coach second, and a great man first.  He taught about values our society is slowing letting deteriorate... honesty, integrity and pride in personal excellence...

I cried this morning because we are a poorer society without him... but I was happy he could be back with Nell again.

Something you may not know... UCLA Pauley Pavilion.  The place we play basketball, has the court named after him.  When asked for permission, he said they would need to include his wife's name.. and before his own.  Because without his wife, he would never have accomplished half the things he did. 

I hope he's back with Nell.

[BillyB]

Something you may not know... UCLA Pauley Pavilion.  The place we play basketball, has the court named after him.  When asked for permission, he said they would need to include his wife's name.. and before his own.  Because without his wife, he would never have accomplished half the things he did. 

Thanks for sharing that. The more I learn about John Wooden, the more I respect him. I don't think anybody has anything bad to say about him. Prez Ronald Reagan also gave credit for his successes to his wife since without her, he would not be in the position he was in and accomplished as much. Choosing a partner in life is important. They can help you become a somebody or a nobody. They can help bring out the best in you or the worst in you too.

[kievstar]

Wooden is a legend for more what he did off the court than on.  No one has come close to matching what he did on the court.

The coach of my alumni Michigan State "Tom Izzo" said it recently during a luncheon he had for donors when asked if he was ever going to be considered like Wooden.  Izzo's reply was no one is like Wooden than went into a story about how after he (Izzo) won a national title Wooden was the first coach to congratulate him and welcome to the club.  That was 10 years ago when Wooden was almost 90 years old.  Wooden always went out of his way to help anybody and touched almost every coach in basketball at all levels.  He will never be replaced.