Birthday Wish to John Wooden 640.4
Today my hero, John Wooden, is celebrating his 99th birthday. It’s a happy coincidence that this occurs on the brink of National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week (October 18-24), which highlights the importance of strengthening the character of America’s youth, because Coach Wooden is, above all, a teacher of character.
In the preface to Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court by John Wooden with Steve Jamison, Jamison describes his coauthor this way: “Coach Wooden is pure of heart, modest, trusting, humble, understated, serene, without pretense or hidden agenda, sincere, straightforward, intelligent, quick, confident, and willed with such a profound decency and tremendous inner strength that it’s humbling.
“His conversations always include pithy quotes, wise aphorisms, and inspiring poems he recites from memory. One of his favorites emphasizes his belief that a coach is, first and foremost, a teacher:
“No written word nor spoken plea
Can teach our youth what they should be,
Nor all the books on all the shelves.
It’s what the teachers are themselves.”
Well, here’s a fella who truly understands and lives up to the responsibilities of being a role model. But don’t take my word for it. You can see and hear him on YouTube. There are lots of choices, but I hope you’ll watch an interview I did with him a few years ago titled “Coach Wooden: Pursuing Victory With Honor and the Teacher-Coach.”
Happy birthday, Coach.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
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Comments
Was there any truth to Sam Gilbert doing his dirty work at UCLA?
Posted by: Anonymous | October 15, 2009 3:32 PM
I wouldn't want to criticize somebody like Coach Wooden. I find that, of course, he is a person to look up to and is somebody I would aspire to be. I run into such bigger-than-life people very infrequently. However, I would hope to emulate his many beliefs and behaviors not because of any belief in God and the afterlife. Rather, because I think its the right thing to do. If I die tomorrow and there is no afterlife, I would still aspire to be like Coach Wooden because I feel it's the right thing to do. My comments really have little to do with Coach Wooden but rather a belief that doing the right thing regardless of the consequences is of a higher morality than because one will be rewarded in the afterlife.
Posted by: EdBuczek | October 17, 2009 3:40 AM