You may have heard of John Wooden before. If you haven’t heard the name, perhaps you are familiar with some of his quotes. Wooden is known in Los Angeles as the legendary basketball coach at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). The “Wizard of Westwood,” as he was known, is credited with 10 NCAA national championships in a 12-year period, 7 of them won consecutively. Wooden also played college basketball himself; he was the first player to be named basketball All-American 3 times at Purdue. An iconic player and coach (notable former players of his include Kareenm Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton), John Wooden is also renowned for his inspirational quotes and messages. While many of these Wooden-isms are directed at basketball success, they are just as applicable to life in general. With all the stress that comes at the end of the school year, I can’t think of a better person to highlight as a source of inspiration. Here are some of John Wooden’s best quotes, as well as his “Pyramid of Success.” Good luck, and hang in there!
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1. “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
2. “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”
3. “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
4. “Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.”
5. “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.”
6. “Never make excuses. Your friends don’t need them and your foes won’t believe them.”
7. “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”
8. “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
9. “You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.”
John Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success”
{Wooden posing with the many trophies he had won over his years as a coach}