The Desire To Win

	From the book Wooden: "Players fifty years ago wanted to win just as much as players today.  Foot soldiers a thousand years ago wanted to win the battle as much as combat troops today.  Athletes today have no greater desire to win than athletes at the first Olympic games.  The desire then and now is the same. The difference is that everybody worries about it more today because of the media and the attention they give to the question of who's winning and who's losing. Did I win?  Did I lose?  Those are the wrong questions.  The correct question is:  DID I MAKE MY BEST EFFORT?  That's what matters.  The rest of it just gets in the way. In classical times, the courageous struggle for a noble cause was considered success in itself.  Sadly, that ideal has been forgotten.  But it is well worth remembering.