John Wooden's Pyramid of Success

Died: John Wooden in our memory

John Wooden Pyramid Of Success Printable – John Wooden has passed away, leaving many mourning his death. By most descriptions he was always humble, and always there for his students without any hesitation. Everywhere that you look around the university that he once taught at, UCLA, there are reminders of the type of man that he was. He was born in 1910, and by all accounts lived a full life, and was one of the greatest American basketball coaches of our era. He is also a member as the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was able to enter the hall of fame both as a player and as a coach. He was nominated for each entrance into the hall of fame only twelve years apart from each other, in 1961 and then again in 1973.

When word spread of John Wooden's death, the foremost thing that popped into my beginning was a quote former University of Florida football coach Steve Spurrier used to constantly recite when he'd yank his starting quarterback and put in the backup.

"Coach John Wooden once said that the bench is a coach's best partner," Spurrier would clarify.

And in Spurrier's mind, that quote legitimized his sometimes irrational decision to change quarterbacks. Because, by gosh, if Wooden said it, it must be right.

We miss that today.

We don't have any coaches nowadays whose words have become so legendary that they are quoted verbatim by other coaches. When was the last truly memorable quote you heard from Nick Saban or Urban Meyer? Have you heard a high school coach quote Bill Belichick, Phil Jackson or John Calipari lately?

But 30, 40, 50 years after they coached their last games, you can walk into high school locker rooms across the country and find motivational quotes from Vince Lombardi or Bear Bryant or John Wooden taped or tacked to the walls. In fact, you can go into the Orlando Sentinel building right now and find Wooden's famous Pyramid of Success hanging above my desk.

"We live in such a short sound-bite world that maybe the coaches of today don't think their words are important," says Magic senior vice president Pat Williams, who wrote a book about Wooden a few years ago. "Coach Wooden was a man of letters. He loved poetry. He was a voracious reader. He thought words were important. People will be studying his principles and philosophies for the next 100 years."

To the people like Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy who grew up during UCLA's heyday, Wooden wasn't just a coach; he was a mythological figure — the all-knowing, all-seeing sage who didn't just coach basketball; he taught life.

"This is a sad moment — the end of the greatest era ever," Van Gundy said of Wooden's death. "To me and most coaches of my age, John Wooden was THE guy — the greatest coach who ever was. We were raised on his Pyramid of Success."

Among the many Wooden witticisms:

•"Be quick, but don't hurry."

•"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."

•"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail."

•"Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow."

•"The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team."

He was born in the small town of Hall, Indiana. He began his coaching career as a high school coach for the Dayton High School of Kentucky. His first year at the school was the only time in his entire career that he ever had a losing record as a coach, when the team went 6-11. He then moved on to Indiana State University. He had a successful run there as well, but his real success was found at UCLA. His complete record for his career was 664-162, with a record of 620-147 in his time at UCLA. He was able to lead the team to ten national championships, and is regarded as the greatest college basketball coach of all time.

He has been honored in many ways since his death, and continues to garner a large amount of attention in various ceremonies in his honor. The loss of John Wooden was met with extreme sadness from many individuals at UCLA, some of whom have said that they believe that he made the school what it was.

John Wooden's Pyramid of Success

ENTHUSIASM

Your heart must be in your work. Stimulate others.

COOPERATION

With all levels of your co-workers. Help others and see the other side.

LOYALTY

To yourself and all those dependent upon you. Keep your self-respect.

FRIENDSHIP

Comes from mutual esteem, respect and devotion.

INDUSTRIOUSNESS

Worthwhile things come from hard work and careful planning.

SELF-CONTROL

Emotions under control. Delicate adjustment between mind & body. Judgment and common sense.

ALERTNESS

Be observing constantly. Be quick to spot a weakness, and correct it or use it, as the case may warrant.

INITIATIVE

Cultivate the ability to make decisions and think alone. Desire to excel.

INTENTNESS

Ability to resist temptation. Concentrate on your objective and be determined to reach your goal.

CONDITION

Mental–Moral– Physical. Rest, exercise and diet must be considered. Moderation. Dissipation eliminated.

SKILL

A knowledge of and the ability to properly execute the fundamentals. Be prepared. Cover every detail.

TEAM SPIRIT

An eagerness to sacrifice personal interests or glory for the welfare of all. "The team comes first."

POISE

Just being yourself. Being at ease in any situation. Never fighting yourself.

CONFIDENCE

 Respect without fear. Confident. Faith in yourself knowing you are prepared.

COMPETITIVE GREATNESS

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Be at your best when your best is needed. Love of a hard battle.

SUCCESS

Faith

Patience