BRAD’S SPORTS BLURB

If I could choose any sports figure in the world to meet, who would it be? There are many great choices: Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Pat Summitt, Lance Armstrong, Bob Knight; this list could go on forever. One person many people don’t think about is John Wooden. Wooden is one of the most legendary coaches and one of the greatest role models of all time.

Wooden was born on October 14, 1910 and just celebrated his 99th birthday on Wednesday. He is most well known for his great leadership skills and his heartwarming personality. Wooden coached college basketball for 29 years, spending the last 27 with UCLA where he coached the Bruins to 10 national championships in a 12 year span. In those 29 years Wooden won over 80 percent of the games he coached and compiled a record of 664-162. Wooden also helped lead the Bruins to 88 consecutive victories and four undefeated 30-0 seasons throughout his career.

With those accomplishments Wooden surely had to be one of the highest-paid college coaches of all time, right? Wrong. Wooden never made over $35,000 dollars a year at any point during his coaching career and he never once asked for a raise. At one point during his career Wooden reportedly turned down an offer from the Los Angeles Lakers that would have paid him ten times the amount he was making at UCLA.

Now you know a little bit about John Wooden as a coach, but what’s more impressive are his personal beliefs and his personality off the court which I think everyone could learn something from. Revealed in an interview with ESPN’s Rick Reilly, Wooden said he hadn’t sworn since 1924 or drunk alcohol since 1932. He has only kissed one woman in his life, his beloved wife of 53 years, Nell, who passed away in 1985. Wooden has never gotten over it and still writes her a love letter on the 21st of every month, the date of her death. Reilly said he likes going to Wooden’s house for the same reason people like going to church: It makes him want to be a better man.

Wooden is also known for his great words of wisdom and his “seven point creed” which was given to him by his father on the day of his high school graduation. The “seven point creed” says: be true to yourself, make each day your masterpiece, help others, drink deeply from good books, make friendship a fine art, build a shelter against a rainy day, pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

The reason I would like to meet John Wooden over any other sports figure in the world is because of who he is off the court, not who he was on it. Wooden has influenced many athletes and non-athletes across the world, including me and for that I want to say, thank you!

 

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