Wooden & Walsh On The Process

The following was taken from an interview that Steve Jamison did about writing about these two coaches.

 Bill Walsh said the score takes care of itself. And he really meant that. In our conversations, he explained how he placed his emphasis on doing things the right way. His primary focus when he took over the 49ers was not on telling everyone when the team would win the Super Bowl. He talked a great deal about his expectations for everyone in the organization. He wanted players, coaches, and staff members to focus on executing the details of their roles.

John Wooden has some maxims on this topic that I really like. He says, “Little things make big things happen,” and “There are no big things, only an accumulation of little things done well.” He never said, “We will win a championship this year,” or “Our goal is to go undefeated.” He never talked like that. He never announced an audacious goal such as winning a national championship. He focused on doing the right things right now.

Make It A Great Day vs Have A Great Day

Make It A Great Day vs Have A Great Day

Making each day your masterpiece is one of Coach Wooden’s 7 principles that shaped his life. I’ve read the 7 point creed given to him by his father, hundreds of times. However, not until reading Pat Williams new book, “ Coach Wooden—The 7 Principles That Shaped His Life and Will Change Yours”, did I think about the terms “Make vs Have” a great day.
The quality of my day depends on me. It’s something I initiate. “Have a great day” is a passive statement. But “Make it a great day” means that I am in charge of making my day great.

A few ways Pat Williams suggests how we can take control of our day and turn our day into a masterpiece:

1. Set clear goals, then take measurable steps toward achievement.
2. Put an end to procrastination.
3. Beware of distractions and time wasters.
4. Make a time log
5. Focus on excellence

Greg Maddux On Staying In The Present

Greg Maddux--Making Each Day A Masterpiece

Greg Maddux is the only pitcher in Major League Baseball history to win at least fifteen games for seventeen consecutive seasons. Re recalls some advice he once received from then-Cubs manager Tom Trebelhorn. "You know what the problem with players these days? Trebelhorn said. "They are always looking forward to something. They're never trying to do something today. They're always looking forward to the next off-day, the All-Star Break, the end of the season. They never stop and enjoy the day that's here."

Maddux says that he thought about that and saw that Trebelhorn had a point. In fact, Maddux realized that he had the same mind-set of looking only to the future and never enjoying the present moment. From that day forward, Maddux concluded, "I started enjoying each day...and really started loving the games from that day on."

Teaching Points on Excuses

Wooden’s Two Sets of Threes:
1. Never Lie
2. Never Cheat
3. Never Steal

1. Don’t Whine
2. Don’t Complain
3. Don’t Make Excuses

Excuses
We have been focusing on the Two Sets of Threes with our team. Here are a few thoughts we are teaching about excuses.
1. To make an excuse is to transfer responsibility.
2. We teach that mistakes are meant to be learned from and the excuses get in the way of that process.
3. Responsibility is power.
4. Honest introspection is the first step to changing negative habits. Awareness is the first step to change.
5. The conscious acceptance of responsibility is on e of the greatest indicators of a player’s maturity.

John Wooden's Coaching Philosophy

Webster tells us that, among other things, a philosopher is a person who meets all events, whether favorable of unfavorable, with calmness and composure, Furthermore, among the comments he makes in defining philosophy are such statements as: originally, love of wisdom or knowledge; a study of the processes governing thought and conduct; the general principles or laws of a field of knowledge or activity; and a study of human morals, character, and behavior.
These definitions certainly indicate the necessity of a coach being somewhat of a philosopher and having a philosophy of his own if he is to do well in his chosen profession.
Psychiatrists tell us that two of the possible symptoms of insanity are delusions of grandeur and delusions of persecution. Since all coaches are subject to delusions of grandeur when their teams on occasion may accomplish what did not seem possible and subject to delusions of persecution when every close call and every break seem to go against them, they must be philosophically inclined to accept such events with calmness and composure and continue to make decisions in the clear light of common sense.
Coaches must also be able to react in a philosophical manner to the unpredictable emotional reactions of players, fans, opponents, and all others who have, or think they have, a very personal interest in the participants, the playing, and the scores of the games.

The Beginning of Coach Wooden's Legend--His dad

The Foundation of the Legend of John Wooden—His Father Joshua Wooden

As coaches we see John Wooden’s influence everywhere. I have a shelf of John Wooden books, notebooks full of articles, notes, etc. But the thing that stuck out to me reflecting on his death, was Coach Wooden’s father.

In every book, speech, article—Coach Wooden talked of his father’s influence. The greatness of John Wooden began at home as a child, the lessons he learned from his dad shaped his life to be the man that he was. I think of the incredible gift that Coach Wooden’s father left each of us, through Coach Wooden’s teachings. I think of the incredible responsibility I have as a father of one and one on the way.

The following comes from Coach Wooden’s book—“They Call Me Coach”
“Actually, my father had a profound influence on my life. Both my philosophy of life and of coaching came largely from him. Even as a small boy I always had a great respect for him because I knew he would always be fair with me and had my best interests at heart. And I soon learned that if he couldn’t say something good about another person, he wouldn’t say anything at all—a philosophy I’ve tried to follow.

A truly gentle man, dad read the Bible daily; he wanted us to read it and we did. That is probably why I keep a copy on my desk today. It’s not a decoration, but is well marked and read. The fact that I never heard dad swear, surely accounts for the fact that even today when I get mad, the strongest thing I can say is “goodness gracious sakes alive.”
I remember so well what dad gave me for graduation from that little country grade school in Centerton. It was a piece of paper on which he had written a creed that he suggested I try to live by. It read:

1. Be true to yourself.
2. Make each day your masterpiece.
3. Help others.
4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
5. Make friendship a fine art.
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
7. Pray for guidance, count and give thanks for your blessing every day.

Through Joshua Wooden’s lessons to his son developed the legend of Coach Wooden that we know today.