by Craig Impelman | Jan 6, 2021 | Blog
“Dwelling in the past prevents doing something in the present.” —John Wooden Coach Wooden’s quote is usually applied to encourage people not to focus on past disappointments. On another level, Coach used this approach for himself to make sure that although he was...
by Craig Impelman | Dec 30, 2020 | Blog
The following is an excerpt from Coach’s preseason letter to the team in 1970 (UCLA had won its sixth national championship in seven years) in which he communicates his goal for the upcoming season to his players: It has been almost four months since our basketball...
by Craig Impelman | Dec 23, 2020 | Blog
“The important thing in life is not what belongs to us, but what we belong to.” —John Wooden The central idea behind this favorite quote of Coach Wooden’s was that it is not material possessions (what belongs to us) that are important in life but rather what our...
by Craig Impelman | Dec 16, 2020 | Blog
A person who trusts people will make fewer mistakes than a person who distrusts. In his book The Essential Wooden, Coach Wooden discussed the critical nature of building trust: When spring arrived each year in Indiana, the warming weather would slowly soften the ice...
by Craig Impelman | Dec 8, 2020 | Blog
Although it may not be possible to determine what happens to you, you should control how you react and respond. In his book Wooden on Leadership, Coach Wooden talked about what he meant by this favorite phrase of his: You may have noticed that when unexpected good...
by Craig Impelman | Dec 2, 2020 | Blog
Coach Wooden introduced his coaching philosophy in his book Practical Modern Basketball by talking about the necessity for a successful coach to be a philosopher: Webster tells us that, among other things, a philosopher is a person who meets all events, whether...
by Craig Impelman | Nov 26, 2020 | Blog
A good memory is one that can remember the day’s blessings and forget the day’s troubles. This Irish blessing was a favorite of John Wooden’s. It supports and is a good reminder of the seventh item in his father Joshua Wooden’s Seven-Point Creed: “Give thanks for your...
by Craig Impelman | Nov 18, 2020 | Blog
You meet the same people on the way up as you meet on the way down. The origin of this favorite quote of Coach Wooden’s is attributed to playwright Wilson Mizner, who in 1932 gave the following advice to a young up and coming motion picture star: “Be kind to everyone...
by Craig Impelman | Nov 11, 2020 | Blog
You have success within; it is up to you to bring it out. This favorite idea of Coach Wooden’s always reminds me of my favorite quotes: “God don’t make no junk.” Coach Wooden, in his book Coach Wooden’s Leadership Game Plan for Success, commented on fundamental...
by Craig Impelman | Nov 4, 2020 | Blog
“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” Coach Wooden’s message to the players at the beginning of each UCLA season was as follows: I will not like you all the same, but I will love you all the same. Furthermore, I will try very hard not to...
