John Wooden Quotes

99 Sourced Quotes

I don't think I was a fine game coach I think I was a good practice coach.

John Wooden
Before success comes patience... when we add to our accomplishments the element of hard work over a long period of time, we'll place a far greater value on the outcome. When we are patient, we'll have a greater appreciation of our success.

John Wooden
We should never let ambition cause us to sacrifice our integrity or diminish our efforts in other areas. However, we need to remember that we never reach a serious goal unless we have the intention of doing so.

John Wooden
A life not lived for others is not a life, a game not played for others is not a game.

John Wooden
In spite of all that doctors know, and their studies never end, the best cure of all when spirits fall is a kind note from a friend.

John Wooden
Once you become a good person, then you have a chance of becoming a good basketball player.

John Wooden
You may be better than the rest, but you are not a success until you have made the effort to become the best you can be.

John Wooden
When we aren't alert, we miss opportunities to improve ourselves. We should always watch for circumstances or situations that can help or harm us and be eager to learn from these encounters.

John Wooden
In life, worthwhile accomplishments and acquisitions take time. Usually the better the reward, the more time it takes to acquire it.

John Wooden
Working with others makes us much more than we could ever become alone

John Wooden
Acquire peace of mind by making the effort to become the best of which you are capable.

John Wooden
We can become great in the eyes of others, but we'll never become successful when we compromise our character and show disloyalty toward friends or teammates. The reverse is also true: No individual or team will become great without loyalty.

John Wooden
I wanted my players to always be searching, especially for truth. I wanted them to know what they believed and be able to defend it. Truth will always stand the test of scrutiny.

John Wooden
Enthusiasm brushes off upon those with whom you come in contact.

John Wooden
The person who is afraid to risk failure seldom has to face success. I expected my players to make mistakes, as long as they were mistakes of commission. A mistake of commission happens when you are doing what should be done but don't get the results you want.

John Wooden
We're all imperfect and we all have needs. The weak usually do not ask for help, so they stay weak. If we recognize that we are imperfect, we will ask for help and we will pray for the guidance necessary to bring positive results to whatever we are doing.

John Wooden
Let's face it, we're all imperfect and we're going to fall short on occasion. But we must learn from failure and that will enable us to avoid repeating our mistakes. Through adversity, we learn, grow stronger, and become better people.

John Wooden
The score will take care of itself when you take care of the effort that precedes the score.

John Wooden
Each of us has a huge capacity to learn and to achieve. Being ever alert makes the task of becoming all we are capable of becoming so much easier.

John Wooden
A strong leader accepts blame and gives the credit. A weak leader gives blame and accepts the credit.

John Wooden
Players with fight never lose a game, they just run out of time

John Wooden
You should never try to be better than someone else, you should always be learning from others. But you should never cease trying to be the best you could be because that's under your control and the other isn't.

John Wooden
You control the terms of the conflict. Make them play your game. Don't try to play theirs.

John Wooden
The main ingredient of stardom, is the rest of the team.

John Wooden
Work without joy is drudgery. Drudgery does not produce champions, nor does it produce great organizations.

John Wooden
Reputation is what others perceive you as being, and their opinion may be right or wrong. Character, however, is what you really are, and nobody truly knows that but you. But you are what matters most.

John Wooden
We don't have to be superstars or win championships…. All we have to do is learn to rise to every occasion, give our best effort, and make those around us better as we do it.

John Wooden
Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating...too often fathers neglect it because they get so caught up in making a living they forget to make a life.

John Wooden
I do not judge success based on championships; rather, I judge it on how close we came to realizing our potential

John Wooden
As a leader, you must be filled with energy and eagerness, joy and love for what you do. If you lack enthusiasm for your job, you cannot perform to the best of your ability. Industriousness is unattainable without Enthusiasm.

John Wooden