The impact of Coach Wooden

Had he not passed away in June, Coach Wooden would have celebrated his 100th Birthday (on Thursday) this past week. Physically, he is no longer with us but he will never be forgotten. Rightly so, his seat at Pauley Pavilion (Section 103B, Row 2, Seat 1) behind the UCLA Bruins bench has been retired and will remain empty. A fitting tribute to a very special man that will indeed be missed. In the clip below (courtesy of ESPN), some coaches plus former players reflect on the coach that impacted the lives of so many:

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/news/story?id=5685680

A visit with Coach Wooden

Many books have been written by, and about, the late Coach John Wooden. His accomplishments are well-documented. His quotes and teachings are legendary. Watching the following will give you pause to reflect. The link below will take you to a 2001 presentation (thanks to Ted.com) by Coach - it is worth watching again and again, especially with a pen and paper nearby.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/john_wooden_on_the_difference_between_winning_and_success.html

In celebration of Coach Wooden

For some of you, this may be a reminder of what you've already enjoyed reading last October. For others, this will be a surprising list of facts about the great Coach John Wooden (but don't call him 'The Wizard of Westwood' as he's not fond of that nickname). Click on the link (courtesy of Mike Penner and the Los Angeles Times) to enjoy 99 facts about Coach, as described at the time of his 99th birthday last October. Hard to believe that he'll be 100 this Fall.

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/oct/14/sports/sp-john-wooden14

Last minute gift suggestions

At this time of year, many people find themselves looking for that perfect gift for a coach, assistant, athlete, volunteer, etc. Consider a book. Learning is indeed a lifelong process. There are plenty of great basketball books (old and new) available in stores and online. Of the many titles, in no particular order, here are a few recommendations:

• The Ultimate Coaches' Career Manual by Pat Williams
• Beyond Basketball by Mike Krzyzewski
• Court Sense by John Giannini
• Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
• Wins, Losses, and Lessons by Lou Holtz
• Coaching Team Basketball by Tom Crean and Ralph Pim
• Dream Big Dreams (Jack Donohue) by Mike Hickey
• Born to Believe by Butch and Cris Carter
• The Carolina Way by Dean Smith
• Sacred Hoops by Phil Jackson
• Roger's World (Roger Neilson) by Wayne Scanlan
• Beyond Winning by Gary Walton
• My Story by Bob Knight
• Basketball Basics - How to Play Like The Pros by Jay Triano
• A Coach's Life by Dean Smith
• The Miracle of St. Anthony (Bob Hurley Sr.) by Adrian Wojnarowski
• A March to Madness by John Feinstein
• You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned (John Wooden) by Swen Nater and Ronald Gallimore

The holidays are a wonderful time to catch up on some reading. Encourage it. Share it.