Former UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden died at age 99 on June 4, 2010. His legacy as a coach will live on and even in retirement – through speeches and books – he translated the lessons he shared with his championship teams to business professionals and anyone who wanted to discover the champion within themselves.
To honor the man and create an opportunity to remind each of us what he said, I share a few of the quotes that always struck a chord with me:
“The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.”
“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”
“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”
“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
“If you are not making mistakes, you aren’t doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”
“Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”
“Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts.”
The list of memorable quotes could go on for much longer but I will stop here. His track record tells us that he knows a thing or two about motivation, success and the meaning of true teamwork. When his coaching career ended in 1975 his Bruins’ had won their 10th NCAA championship in 12 seasons – a record that will almost certainly never be matched. Pull out one of these maxims the next time you have an opportunity to coach and inspire.
