Thursday, December 25, 2014

John Wooden - The Difference Between Winning and Succeeding

John Wooden (1910-2010) legendary coach of the UCLA team speaks on the difference between winning and succeeding. He says he never spoke about winning, only about succeeding - defined as giving your best, holding your head high.

His rules for the team
  • Never be late
  • Be clean and neat
  • No profanity
  • Never criticise a team mate

And the players who were ideal
  • They knew why they were there in the first place - at UCLA for an education
  • Be unselfish - pass the ball and do not shoot all the time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MM-psvqiG8

Never saw this as clearly as when he says this - the journey is more fun than the end result. The practice sessions as against the matches themselves.

Wooden 'Wizard of Westwood', as Head Coach of UCLA won 10 NCAA Championships in 12 years. He was named national coach of the year six times. He was a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and as a coach. Wooden was one of the coaches who taught his players how to succeed in life as well as basketball.

Apart from what he says on the youtube link above Wooden's maxims are shared on his wikipedia page. They are interesting too.

  • Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
  • Flexibility is the key to stability
  • Be quick but don't hurry
  • Seek opportunities to show you care. The smallest gestures often make the biggest difference.

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