Last month, we started our deep dive into the most winning coach in sports history, Coach John Wooden. Coach Wooden led the UCLA Bruins basketball team to 10 National Championships in 12 years, and at one point, had an 88-game winning streak. His record is likely to remain intact for many, many years to come.
Coach Wooden created his own definition of success along with the Pyramid of Success. He wanted to create a definition of success that had nothing to do with how a person compared to others. His definition is solely focused on doing your best and preparing yourself 100% of the time.
Coach Wooden’s definition of success is, “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”
This month, we are going to focus on the next 5 qualities on the Pyramid of Success.
Number 6: Self-Control
“Control of your organization begins with control of yourself. Be disciplined.”
Coach Wooden wanted his players to develop the habits of champions. That meant having the self-control to eat the right foods, drink plenty of water, abstain from alcohol and other drugs. By doing this, they could be at their best in practice and in the games.
Coach knew that good habits are hard to form but easy to live with, while bad habits are easy to form but hard to live with.
Self-control also meant not over celebrating when something good happens in the game, and not getting overly upset or emotional if they lost. He knew that if his players did their very best, they could and should feel proud of themselves for being 100% prepared for the game.
Number 7: Intentness
“Stay the course. When thwarted try again; harder; smarter. Persevere relentlessly.”
Coach Wooden knew that life is full of challenges and obstacles. He stressed being intentional about preparing themselves mentally and physically for the upcoming games and their upcoming tests and papers in the classroom. He was a stickler that his players do well with their academics. He viewed himself as a teacher, not just a basketball coach.
He also stressed the importance of having a relentless mindset. He encouraged his players to train hard and play smartly. He encouraged them to never give up regardless of the circumstances.
Number 8: Alertness
“Constantly be aware and observing. Always seek to improve yourself and the team.”
Coach Wooden stressed how important it is to be aware of everything going on around them, and to focus on what he can learn from a situation or another person. He reminded his players to not have tunnel vision and get wrapped up in their egos, but instead, to be ready, willing, and able to pay attention to their surroundings and learn everything they can.
Abraham Lincoln was quoted as saying that he never met a person that he did not learn something from. Be aware, be alert, absorb valuable information, and apply it at the appropriate times!
Number 9: Initiative
“Make a decision! Failure to act is often the biggest failure of all.”
Coach knew that the worst thing you could do when confronted with a challenging situation or task is to procrastinate and do nothing.
He wanted his players to make a decision and follow through on that decision. When his players asked what if they made the wrong decision, he said you can always change your mind and go the other way.
In fact, if you decide quickly and discover that you made the wrong call, you can switch your direction and start doing the new approach. In almost every case, you will still be further ahead from the person that did nothing – did not make a decision and act. They are still there thinking about what he/she should do.
Take action!
Number 10: Condition
“Ability may get you to the top, but character keeps you there – mental, moral, and physical.”
Coach Wooden was a stickler for getting his players in peak physical condition. He said that they should never lose a game because the opposing team was in better shape than they were. You can’t control how good another team is, but you can control your level of stamina and conditioning overall.
He also demanded that his players be conditioned and disciplined to act the right ways off the court, as well as on the court. That meant always being respectful, kind, and doing the right thing.
Character education and development were as important to Coach Wooden as was playing basketball at the highest level. He felt his players were representing the school, their families, and God all the time, and they needed to act that way.
Attitude, behavior, and character development was talked about and stressed every day in the Bruins locker-room.
Next month, we will focus on the final 5 qualities in Coach Wooden’s legendary Pyramid of Success!
 

Coach John Wooden is the most winning coach in sports history. He was the head coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball team for 27 years and is most known for winning 10 National Championships in 12 years. At one point, his Bruins had an 88 game winning streak. Very impressive to say the least!
Throughout his coaching career, Coach Wooden often thought about what success meant to him. He, in his infinite wisdom, realized that not everyone is born with the same gifts and talents. He did not like measuring people by the same standard, since some people were naturally more intelligent, some were more athletic, etc.
He developed his own definition of success, which is, “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”
Not only did Coach Wooden develop one of the best definitions of success in history, but he also created the Pyramid of Success. The Pyramid of Success is a compilation of 15 qualities that a person must have to reach their true potential.
Coach Wooden was focused solely on helping his players reach their true potential and making sure they were completely prepared for the upcoming game. He never spoke of winning…ever!
Winning was not his goal. The goal was to make his players the best they could be by preparing them diligently and encouraging them to give their best effort 100% of the time.
For the next 3 months, we are going to take a deep dive into the 15 qualities that Coach drilled into his players and assistant coaches. This month, we will focus on the bottom of the pyramid, which focuses on the first 5 attributes of a successful person.
Number 1: Industriousness
“Success travels in the company of very hard work. There is no trick, no easy way.”
Coach Wooden encouraged and demanded his players give their best effort 100% of the time. He never compared players to one another. Instead, he looked at each player on his team and pushed them to be their best all day, every day.
He not only insisted on this in basketball, but in their academics as well. If a player’s grades were not up to par, they rode the bench regardless of how good of a player they were. This is not a common practice in sports today.
He viewed himself as a teacher, not just a coach. He was teaching them how to succeed in life, and that cannot happen without them putting in the hard work necessary to succeed.
Number 2: Enthusiasm
“Your energy and enjoyment, drive and dedication will stimulate and greatly inspire others.
Coach Wooden knew that to be great in anything, basketball, academics, and everything else, you have to enjoy what you are doing, be driven to be your personal best, and that enthusiasm will carry over to your teammates, friends, and co-workers.
He wanted them to have fun, because when a player is enjoying what they are doing, they will do it better and more efficiently. He also knew that one player’s enthusiasm and energy will inspire others to act and feel the same way.
Number 3: Friendship
“Strive to build a team filled with camaraderie and respect: comrades-in-arms.”
Coach Wooden knew that not everyone on the team would be best friends and always see eye to eye, however, he encouraged and demanded that his players have a mutual respect and camaraderie on the court. He wanted positive and respectful communication among his players, so the team could play at their best.
This avoided the formation of cliques on any of his teams. Everyone was an equal part and of equal value on the team.
Number 4: Cooperation
“Have utmost concern for what’s right rather than who’s right.”
Coach Wooden understood that together everyone achieves more – the true meaning of the word TEAM. That meant that players had to be focused on winning games ahead of their own personal statistics and accolades. Sure, some of his players were superstars, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton.
While he appreciated their high-level of skill and ability, he never treated them better than anyone else. He demanded that they all focused on the team and working together to be successful. That meant not shooting all the time but looking for the pass, and everyone helping out on defense.
Number 5: Loyalty
“Be true to yourself. Be true to those you lead.”
Coach Wooden often referred to being true to yourself, which meant that a person does everything they are capable of to be their best. He felt that was one of the best ways to help your team win. This creates trust and loyalty among the team.
He encouraged and demanded that his players be there for one another, so the team could function at a high level. When everyone shows up prepared, focused, and ready to give 100%, everyone works harder to help the team succeed.
This creates a tremendous amount of loyalty and camaraderie among the players.
Next month, we will focus on the next 5 qualities in Coach Wooden’s legendary Pyramid of Success!