John Wooden quotes

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

— John Wooden

“Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.”

— John Wooden

“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.”

— John Wooden

“Never mistake activity for achievement.”

— John Wooden

“Earn the right to be proud and confident.”

— John Wooden

“Just try to be the best you can be; never cease trying to be the best you can be. That's in your power.”

— John Wooden

“Never lie, never cheat, never steal.”

— John Wooden

“Young people need models, not critics.”

— John Wooden

“What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player.”

— John Wooden

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

— John Wooden

“I think that in any group activity - whether it be business, sports, or family - there has to be leadership or it won't be successful.”

— John Wooden

“I'm no wizard, and I don't like being thought of in that light at all. I think of a wizard as being some sort of magician or something, doing something on the sly or something, and I don't want to be thought of in that way.”

— John Wooden

“I met Tiger Woods when he was younger. He's amazing - obviously technically, but his mental approach, too. He's really something.”

— John Wooden

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

— John Wooden

“I've been blessed in so many ways.”

— John Wooden

“In the end, it's about the teaching, and what I always loved about coaching was the practices. Not the games, not the tournaments, not the alumni stuff. But teaching the players during practice was what coaching was all about to me.”

— John Wooden

“Well, if you're true to yourself you're going to be true to everyone else.”

— John Wooden

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

— John Wooden

“Don't let making a living prevent you from making a life.”

— John Wooden

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

— John Wooden

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

— John Wooden

“When you hurry you're more apt to make mistakes. But you have to be quick. If you're not quick you can't get things done.”

— John Wooden

“The most important thing in the world is family and love.”

— John Wooden

“It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.”

— John Wooden

“Failure is never fatal. But failure to change can and might be.”

— John Wooden

“I'd be satisfied just coaching in high school. I turned down a number of colleges when I was teaching in South Bend, Indiana, before I went into the service. I honestly believe that if I hadn't enlisted in the service, I would never have left high school teaching. I'm sure I would have never left.”

— John Wooden

“It isn't what you do, but how you do it. My eyesight is not nearly as good. My hearing is probably going away. My memory is slipping too. But I'm still around.”

— John Wooden

“Teaching players during practices was what coaching was all about to me.”

— John Wooden

“Somebody asked me - you know, how come it took you so long to win a national championship? And I said, 'I'm a slow learner; but you notice when I learn something, I have it down pretty good.'”

— John Wooden

“Well, your greatest joy definitely comes from doing something for another, especially when it was done with no thought of something in return.”

— John Wooden