What I Learned From Coach Wooden

Anyone who's followed me for even a short time would know that I'm a big time fan and supporter of the lifetime work of the former UCLA coach, John Wooden.  His on court achievements of coaching milestones and records will probably never be reached by anyone ever again, let alone broken.  He was heralded as "The Wizard of Westwood" and while his remarkable accomplishments still leave many in awe until this day, I'm a much bigger fan of  his work off the court and the things he did to help grow the basketball players charged in his care into responsible high character individuals.

Coach Wooden was a wonderful writer who shared his life's work through the written word and had authored several books in relation to coaching, leadership and character development.  While I can't profess to have read all of his books, his very last one written just before he passed away in 2012 was probably the most impactful to me.  The book was dedicated to the art of mentoring and entitled, "A Game Plan for Life".  It spoke to me so much that it ended up being the inspiration and central theme for my own motivational quote book, "Gifts From Others".

"A Game Plan For Life" highlighted an important point in relation to the words and actions of others. You see, Coach Wooden spoke fondly of quotations from people like Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa and others who's words served as an inspiration to himself.  Essentially proving that a mentor can be anyone who's words of encouragement or message of hope inspire you to be better. Quite simply, the words they've left behind are precious gifts to be cherished.

While I never had the opportunity to meet "The Wizard of Westwood" myself, I feel fortunate to have interacted with individuals like Don Yaeger, Steve Jamison, Pat Williams and Andy Hill.  All of them have had personal and dealings and connections to Coach Wooden and continue to keep his legacy alive through their own work.  On that note I thought that it was fitting that I share a collection of 16 lessons I learned from my mentor, Coach Wooden:

1) Self improving never stops and can span our entire lifetime;
2) There's much power and influence in the written word;
3) Our daily lives can serve as motivation to others;
4) You don't have to have physical contact to touch people;
5) Wholesome knowledge doesn't have an expiry date;
6) Never discount the value of putting in a good effort;
7) Take responsibilty for those charged in your care;
8) Character character character;
9) The final score is the least important part of the game;
10) Anyone in life can serve as your mentor;
11) True love never dies;
12) Good character is at the heart of a good person;
13)Your approach to life remains constant;
14) Learning never stops regardless of your age;
15) Never ignore the fine details;
16) Always take responsibility for your actions.

See you on the court!

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Andy Hill on Coach Wooden

Andy Hill is a motivational speaker and author who experienced a great deal of success as president of two media companies, CBS Productions and Channel One Network. While there, he was responsible for producing shows such as Touched By Angel, Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and Walker Texas Ranger.

These shows were based on lessons he learned from Coach John Wooden as a member of three NCAA basketball teams.


An interesting note - Andy was one of the 13 players in NCAA history to do this.

It was fitting to have Andy back on the program as we continued to pay tribute to the life of Coach Wooden and his philosophies that made him special to so many people.

Their relationship was a unique one because Andy didn't develop an appreciation for his coach's teachings while he played for him. This was primarily because he didn't receive very much playing time and as a result, Andy became bitter and resentful and didn't speak with Coach Wooden for over 25 years after he left UCLA.

They later re-connected and Andy dedicated his professional speaking career to sharing Coach Wooden's philosophy and the power and wisdom of The Pyramid of Success.

Click below to listen to my conversation with Andy as he reflects on his personal memories between he and the coach.

See you on the court!

Coach John Wooden Tribute with Steve Jamison

As we continue to pay tribute to John Wooden, we hear from a gentleman who's had the distinction of being his business partner, co-author and friend for over 15 years.

Steve Jamison is a best-selling author and America’s preeminent authority on the leadership philosophy of Coach John Wooden and joins me on the program to help reflect on Coach.


Steve has collaborated with Coach Wooden on projects including several best-selling books, an award-winning PBS television special, WOODEN: Values, Victory, and Peace of Mind,and numerous personal appearances.

Steve reflects on Coach Wooden's life and discusses the impact he's had on others, the significance of the Pyramid of Success and Steve will describe their final meeting.


Click below to listen to the interview.

See you on the court!

Coach John Wooden Tribute with Orlando Magic's Pat Williams

What's going on y'all!

It's been one year since the passing of legendary UCLA Coach John Wooden, so we take a moment to reflect by speaking with a gentleman who had the privilege of not only knowing him personally but wrote about him as well.

That's right!

Senior VP of the Orlando Magic, Pat Williams takes time out of his very busy the schedule and returns to the program to not only chat about the man named greatest coach of all time but also to fill us in on a book written in dedication of John Wooden.

It's called Coach Wooden: The 7 Principles That Shaped His Life and Will Change Yours.

When Coach Wooden graduated from the eighth grade his father gave him a hand written card and said, "Son, try and live up to this." On the card, his father had written seven simple yet profound life principles:

• Be True To Yourself
  
• Help Others
  
• Make Friendship a Fine Art
  
• Drink Deeply From Good Books, especially the Bible
  
• Make Each Day Your Masterpiece
  
• Build A Shelter Against A Rainy Day By The Life You Live
  
• Give Thanks For Your Blessings and Pray For Guidance Everyday
  

These principles were the key to Coach Wooden's greatness and his goodness. Through powerful stories and advice, this book shares the wisdom that made Coach Wooden happy and successful, not just in his career but in life.

Pat and I had a great chat and it was a wonderful opportunity to gain a better understanding of Coach Wooden and the principles he used to impact so many people.

Click here to listen to the interview.

"Coach Wooden didn't just teach basketball ---he taught life"

TONY DUNGY

See you on the court!