by Craig Impelman | Apr 15, 2020 | Blog
“The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.” ―John Burroughs This quote reflects the way Coach Wooden approached life and leadership. He described the person he admired most, his father Joshua Wooden, as consistent in word and deed, a model of the...
by Craig Impelman | Apr 8, 2020 | Blog
The man who is not afraid of failure seldom has to face it. This a version of one of Coach Wooden’s favorite quotes: “The man who is afraid to risk failure seldom has to face success.” It was a reflection of the way he lived, coached, and the way his teams played:...
by Craig Impelman | Apr 1, 2020 | Blog
“Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” Coach Wooden used this famous quote, most often attributed to Winston Churchill, as the epigraph to introduce Chapter 17 of his book They Call Me Coach. In that chapter, he discusses his years...
by Craig Impelman | Mar 25, 2020 | Blog
Pride is a better motivator than fear. In his book Wooden with Steve Jamison, Coach expanded on this idea: Pride is a better motivator than fear. I never wanted to teach through fear, punishment or intimidation. Fear may work in the short term to get people to do...
by Craig Impelman | Mar 18, 2020 | Blog
Young people need good models more than they need critics. This was a cornerstone of Coach Wooden’s approach to coaching and teaching. In his book Wisdom of Wooden, Coach explained the idea: In the 1940s, I wrote this reminder to myself of the responsibilities I...
by Craig Impelman | Mar 11, 2020 | Blog
I will get ready and then, perhaps, my chance will come. Coach Wooden learned this idea from Abraham Lincoln, who said, “I will study and get ready, and perhaps my chance will come.” In his book Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court...
