John Wooden

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"Success comes from knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." (Famous Quotes) John Wooden knows a thing or two about success. He has won more NCAA Basketball Championships than any other college coach in history (Ten) Many refer to Wooden as the "quintessential" coach. John Wooden was born on his family's Indiana farm on October 14, 1910. Coach Wooden went on to graduate from the University of Purdue in 1932. He then went on to coach at the high school and college levels, having great success, wherever he went. He found great success at UCLA, where he won 10 NCAA championships. John Wooden is not a hero because of championships he won, he is a hero because how he won the championships, with leadership, a solid work-ethic, and integrity.

John Wooden was an incredible leader that brought the best out of himself and people around him. He led with the mindset that if one kept working hard; they would find success. Coach John Wooden was a leader on and off the court for the UCLA Bruins, he was a man who led by example, by motivating and setting goals for his athletes. He set realistic goals for his team that would challenge them to bring the best out of themselves. "Knowledge alone is not enough to get desired results. You must have the more elusive ability to teach and motivate. This defines a leader; if you can't teach and you can't motivate, you can't lead." (Wooden/ Jamison) Coach Wooden led his team the correct way, he understood his players point of view and their personal goals He motivated his players to strive for their goals as one team. Wooden always had his players physically and mentally ready to play. He always believed the Bruins would find a way to win.Wooden was a man of confidence, not to the point where it became arrogance, but so it would motivate his players, and drive them to keep striving for their goals.''In the nine championship seasons that followed, Wooden's coaching genius is best illustrated by the fact Wooden and UCLA were successful playing a variety of different styles, as dictated by their available manpower." (Sports Science). No matter the situation Wooden faced; he always led his team to victory. As Coach Wooden started to win more championships it became easier to recruit more talent. He was not only a great leader, many wanted to be led by him.

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John Wooden led his UCLA basketball team to ten Championships, he did that by leading his athletes to play the game of basketball the correct way and having each player work their hardest. John Wooden was not only a leader but he had an incredible work-ethic which helped him bring ten championships to UCLA. Wooden wasn't as concerned about winning and losing as to how hard an individual worked. " Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions to ask: Did I give it my best effort? The rest just gets in the way." (Wooden/Jamison) He brought the best out of people by making them work there own personal hardest. He could have easily given up on coaching after his first 15 championship-less seasons. But Wooden kept working his hardest and striving for his goal. " Wooden's success stands as an example that a challenging practice environment, rigorous attention to the execution of fundamentals, and cohesive team play will produce champions." (Sports Science). Wooden believed that hard work, commitment, and teamwork made champions. He was an enthusiast that working hard pays off. Today many coach's model their practices like Woolens'. Coach John Wooden never won a championship his first 15 years, he could have easily given up. But he didn't, he kept working hard towards his goal at his desired championship.

Although being a leader and hard worker are important qualities a hero should possess, John Wooden legacy is known as his integrity and that he played the game of basketball the correct way. "Wooden's achievements at the University of California at Los Angeles are the standard by which all college basketball coaches are likely to be judged for many decades to come Wooden is the what every basketball coach looks to succeed. He coached his players to play the game of basketball the right way. He taught them about winning with a positive attitude, how to take a lose and sportsmanship. Wooden was a coach who was more concerned about a player's personality off the court suppose to on the court. "Be more concerned about your character than your reputation. Character is what you really are. Your reputation is what people say you are." Coach Wooden was true to himself, which led him to develop such a great personality and character. He coached the UCLA Bruins as his family, which separate John Wooden's integrity separates him from other coaches, he wasn't as concerned about winning as to how the effort and attitude and individual put in.

John Wooden with UCLA alumni Kareem Abdul Jabar (espn.go.com ())

John Wooden won many national championships as the coach of the UCLA Bruins, that doesn't make him a hero, he's a hero because how he won the championships, being a solid leader, having a great work ethic, and coaching with integrity. Wooden is a hero because he brought the best out of young men at young ages that later went on to be very successful on and off the court. He lead, worked hard, and inspired others around him. "Don't measure yourself by what you've accomplished, but rather by what you should have accomplished with your abilities. "What inspires me about Wooden is about his knowledge about the sport of basketball and life itself. After researching him I was very inspired how he composed himself as a leader, and taught others to work as hard as he did. John Wooden is the all time greatest college basketball coach, ask any basketball coach. But that's not what makes him a hero. He is a hero because he won the championships the right way. He's legacy throughout sports will be the greatest coach ever.

 Works Cited

Wooden, John, and Steve Jamison. Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and off the Court. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary, 1997. Print.

"Wooden, John Robert." World of Sports Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 795-796. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Feb. 2015.

"Famous Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, 2001. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.