John Wooden Quotes

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.

Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who'll argue with you.

The general feeling is, if you don't treat everyone the same you're showing partiality. To me, that's when you show the most partiality, when you treat everyone the same. You must give each individual the treatment that you feel he earns and deserves, recognizing at all times that you're imperfect and you're going to be incorrect oftentimes in your judgment.

Every person under your supervision is different. They're all different. They're identical in most ways, but not in all ways. You have to study and analyze every individual under your supervision and try to work with them in a way that will be most productive.

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.

Winning takes talent; to repeat takes character.

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.

Young people need models, not critics.

I am not as good as I ought to be. I am not as good as I want to be. I am not as good as I'm going to be. But I am thankful that I am better than I used to be.

Never lie; never cheat; never steal. Don't whine; don't complain; don't make excuses.

It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.

Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.

Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books - especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day.

You must have respect, which is a part of love, for those under your supervision. Then they will do what you ask and more.

There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you.

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

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

If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier.

A leader must listen to those under their supervision.

As long as you try your best, you are never a failure. That is, unless you blame others.

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

Leaders must have patience for those under your supervision. Don't expect too much too soon. Maybe it was easy for you, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy for somebody else. Be sure you have patience.

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.

Be more concerned with what you can do for others than what others can do for you. You’ll be surprised at the results.

Champions never complain, they are too busy getting better

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.

When you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur. When you improve conditioning a little each day, eventually you have a big improvement in conditioning. Not tomorrow, not the next day, but eventually a big gain is made. Don't look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That's the only way it happens - and when it happens, it lasts.

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

The ability to see the good in others and the bad in ourselves is perfect vision.

The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.

Having the courage to make decisions and take action. Never be afraid to fail. You have nothing to fear if you have prepared to the best of your ability.

A mistake is valuable if you do four things with it: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it

It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.

Promise yourself you will talk health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible. Promise to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best in yourself and others. Promise to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements in the future.

Without proper self-evaluation, failure is inevitable.

Many leaders don't listen, and it is one of the greatest methods we have of learning. You need to listen to those under your supervision and to those who are above you.

If you spend too much time learning the 'tricks' of the trade, you may not learn the trade. There are no shortcuts. If you're working on finding a short cut, the easy way, you're not working hard enough on the fundamentals. You may get away with it for a spell, but there is no substitute for the basics. And the first basic is good, old fashioned hard work.

Respect every opponent, but fear none.

Knowledge is not enough to get desired results. You must have the more elusive ability to teach and to motivate. This defines a leader; if you can't teach and you can't motivate, you can't lead.

There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer.

Give me 100 percent. You can't make up for a poor effort today by giving 110 percent tomorrow. You don't have 110 percent. You only have 100 percent, and that's what I want from you right now.

It matters not the subject taught, nor all the books on all the shelves, What matters most, yes most of all, is what the teachers are themselves.

Worry about your character, not your reputation. Your character is who you are, and your reputetion is who people think you re.

All of life is peaks and valleys. Don't let the peaks get too high and the valleys too low.

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating. Youngsters need good models more than they need critics. It's one of a parent's greatest responsibilities and opportunities.

1. Be on time. 2. Never criticize a teammate. 3. Never use profanity.