John Wooden quotes: wise famous quotes, sayings and quotations by John Wooden

John Wooden Famous Quotes & Sayings

Discover top inspirational quotes from John Wooden on Wise Famous Quotes.

If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over?

I continually stress to my players that all I expect from them at practice and in the games is their maximum effort.

Good values are like a magnet, they attract good people.

Passion is momentary; love is enduring.

Kindness makes for much better teamwork.

Although I wanted my players to work to win, I tried to convince them they had always won when they had done their best.

Defense is a definite part of the game, and a great part of defense is learning to play it without fouling.

Success may result in winning, but winning does not necessarily mean you are a success.

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

Helping others is perhaps the greatest joy! You cannot have a perfect day without helping others with no thought of getting something in return.

Great leaders are always out front with a banner, instead of behind with a whip.

No individual should take the blame for a loss, because no individual should get the credit for a victory.

He who truly seeks God has found Him.

It's important to keep trying to do what you think is right no matter how hard it is or how often you fail. Never stop trying

I think you have to be what you are. Don't try to be somebody else. You have to be yourself at all times.

The purpose of discipline is not to punish, but to correct.

Make today your master piece.

Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.

I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession.

I don't think I was a fine game coach. I'm trying to be honest. I think I was a good practice coach.

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.

I am just a common man who is true to his beliefs.

With the experience to judge, one need not pre-judge.

When you get to be 95, travel doesn't come as easily.

Being average means you are as close to the bottom as you are to the top.

Don't beat yourself. That's the worst kind of defeat you'll ever suffer.

Never confuse activity with accomplishment.

Have something to believe in; have a reason to believe in it, but stay open-minded.

Bad times can make you bitter or better.

Joy makes the longest journey too short.

Real happiness comes from the things that can not be taken away from you.

Reminder that gentleness can fix in a moment what an hour of shouting fails to achieve.

A leader who is through learning is through.

Stubborness we deprecate,
Firmness we condone,
The former is our neighbors trait,
The latter is our own.

Make friendship a fine art.

Discipline yourself so others won't have to.

It takes 10 hands to score a basket

Perform at your best when your best is required. Your best is required each day.

The man who is afraid to risk failure seldom has to face success.

I've always believed that hustle can make up for a lot of mistakes.

You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes

Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible.

Never allow anyone else to define your success.

A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that's teamwork.

Apply yourself everyday to just becoming a little bit better.

Do your best every day. Live each day as if it's your masterpiece.

Losing does not make you a failure; it is when you blame someone for losing when you become a failure

Champions are brilliant at the basics.

Surround yourself with people strong enough to change your mind.

You haven't taught until they've learned.

Young people need models, not critics.

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

I don't believe in praying to win.

Never let your emotions overrule your head.

Big things are accomplished when we master the little things.

The true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching.

There is no more powerful leadership tool than your own personal example.

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.

If we, as coaches, aren't teachers, we are nothing

I never met a person from whom I did not learn something.

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.

Generally speaking, individual performances don't win basketball games

Five years from now, you're the same person except for the people you've met and the books you've read.

Loyalty is a cohesive force that forges individuals into a team.

Earn the right to be proud and confident.

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

Adaptability is being able to adjust to any situation at any given time.

Nobody is defeated until he starts blaming somebody else. My advice to you is don't fix the blame. Fix the problem.

A good banker isn't careless with pennies; a good leader isn't sloppy about details.

There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience.

Success is peace of mind in knowing you did your best.

When the legs go, the heart soon follows

Show me what you can do; don't tell me what you can do.

Make greatness attainable by all.

Be at your best when your best is needed.

Mix idealism with realism and add hard work. This will often bring much more than you could ever hope for.

Honors are very fleeting, just as fame is; cherish friendship more.

Discipline yourself and others won't need to.

First be the best and then be first

When everyone has good players, teaching will be a telling difference.

Selfishness is the greatest challenge for a coach. Most players are more concerned with making themselves better than the team.

Be quick without hurrying.

Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.

The athlete who says that something can't be done should never interrupt the one who's doing it

Being your best when your best is needed. The ability to enjoy challenges when things become difficult and to derive exhilaration from them.

I'd rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.

Happiness begins where selfishness ends.

Never lie, never cheat, never steal.

Everything we know, we learned from someone else!

I always talked to my players about today. It's the only day that matters.

If we fail to adapt, we fail to move forward.

Place the team above yourself always.

When it's over and you look in the mirror, did you do the best you were capable of? If yes, you will probably be ok with the outcome

I believe correcting is the positive approach. I believe in the positive approach. Always have.

You'd like to see your team reasonably happy, but that's not your job. Gain their respect and get them to accept their roles

You can respect a person without necessarily liking that individual.

Make each day your masterpiece. Life is now. Life is not later on.

A player who makes a team great is better than a great player.

Don't be afraid to fail. The greatest failure of all is not to act when action is needed.

Remember this, the choices you make in life, make you.