Blog #1

My book is called "The Essential Wooden" and is about John Wooden, his stories, and his philosophies. Coach Wooden is arguably the greatest coach of all time, regardless of sport. This book is about his views on success, winning and leadership.

What really jumped out at me is the fact that, despite winning so many national titles, and having an 88-game win streak... Coach Wooden didn't measure success by winning. Nor did he ever mention the word "win." He would be more upset if his team won and didn't play as good as they could have than if they lost and played their best. In the first part he talks a lot about his dad and the values that his dad instilled in him, and lessons his dad taught him. His dad taught him that he doesn't need to yell to get his point across, and that calmness is often better. He admits he often forgot this when coaching, but would try his best to remember to live by the words his dad taught him.

Quote that will stick with me: "Live as though you'll die tomorrow, learn as thought you'll live forever"