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John Wooden Quotes

John Wooden

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The individual who is mistake-free is also probably sitting around doing nothing. And that is a very big mistake.
- John Wooden
Collection: Motivational
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Never try to be better than someone else. Learn from others, and try to be the best you can be. Success is the by-product of that preparation.
- John Wooden
Collection: Motivational
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Why do we dread adversity when we know that facing it is the only way to become stronger, smarter, better?
- John Wooden
Collection: Adversity
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The greatest failure of all is the failure to act when action is needed
- John Wooden
Collection: Action
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It is harmful to compare yourself to others. Others will do that for you.
- John Wooden
Collection: Compare
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I don't believe in looking back. If you make a decision that you think is the proper one at a time, then that's the correct decision.
- John Wooden
Collection: Motivational
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Great leaders are always out front with a banner, instead of behind with a whip.
- John Wooden
Collection: Leader
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It's important to keep trying to do what you think is right no matter how hard it is or how often you fail. Never stop trying
- John Wooden
Collection: Basketball
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Over-coaching can be more harmful than under-coaching. Keep it simple!
- John Wooden
Collection: Simple
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You haven't taught until they've learned.
- John Wooden
Collection: Coaching
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There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile results come from hard work and careful planning.
- John Wooden
Collection: Hard Work
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It takes time to create excellence. If it could be done quickly, more people would do it.
- John Wooden
Collection: Sports
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We don’t have to be superstars or win championships…. All we have to do is learn to rise to every occasion, give our best effort, and make those around us better as we do it.
- John Wooden
Collection: Winning
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Flexibility is the key to stability.
- John Wooden
Collection: Keys
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Doing the best you are capable of doing is victory in itself, and less than that is defeat.
- John Wooden
Collection: Basketball
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We can agree to disagree, but we don’t need to be disagreeable.
- John Wooden
Collection: Needs
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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.
- John Wooden
Collection: Giving
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I believe one of the requirements of good leadership is the ability to listen - really listen - to those in your organization. An effective leader is very good at listening, and it's difficult to listen when you are talking.
- John Wooden
Collection: Believe
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Never try to be better than somebody else. But most importantly, never cease trying to be the best you can be.
- John Wooden
Collection: Trying
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I think anyone's success depends on working hard, Industriousness and Enthusiasm, enjoying what you are doing. You can't work your best if you're not enjoying what you are doing. No way you can force yourself to.
- John Wooden
Collection: Thinking
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In life, worthwhile accomplishments and acquisitions take time. Usually the better the reward, the more time it takes to acquire it.
- John Wooden
Collection: Accomplishment
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Profound responsibilities come with teaching and coaching. You can do so much good–or harm. It’s why I believe that next to parenting, teaching and coaching are the two most important professions in the world.
- John Wooden
Collection: Teaching
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Leadership is the ability to get individuals to work together for the common good and the best possible results while at the same time letting them know they did it themselves.
- John Wooden
Collection: Motivational
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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.
- John Wooden
Collection: Inspirational
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The Good Lord in his infinite wisdom, did not create us all equal when it comes to size, strength, appearance, or various aptitudes. But success is not being better than someone else, success is the peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfacti on in knowing that you gave your best effort to become the best of which you are capable.
- John Wooden
Collection: Self
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Nobody is a real loser-until they start blaming somebody else.
- John Wooden
Collection: Real
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People want to believe you are sincerely interested in them as a person, not just what they can do for you.
- John Wooden
Collection: Believe
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Your energy and enjoyment, drive and dedication will stimulate and greatly inspire others.
- John Wooden
Collection: Dedication
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Nobody is defeated until he starts blaming somebody else. My advice to you is don't fix the blame. Fix the problem.
- John Wooden
Collection: Advice
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I found the bench to be the greatest ally when I had to make individuals comply with what was best for the team
- John Wooden
Collection: Basketball
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Most people think of poise as calm, self-assured dignity; but I call it “just being you”.
- John Wooden
Collection: Thinking
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The greatest ally you have to get things working well and the players performing as a team is the bench. Don't be afraid to use it, either for the star player or anyone else.
- John Wooden
Collection: Basketball
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You better play together as a team or you sit.
- John Wooden
Collection: Team
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Strive to accomplish the very best you are capable of. Nothing less than your best effort will suffice.
- John Wooden
Collection: Best Effort
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Do passing drills that come from your offense.
- John Wooden
Collection: Basketball
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Acquire peace of mind by making the effort to become the best of which you are capable.
- John Wooden
Collection: Effort
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Whatever you're doing, you must have patience.
- John Wooden
Collection: Doing You
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You have success within. It's up to you to bring it out.
- John Wooden
Collection: Up To You
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When the legs go, the heart soon follows
- John Wooden
Collection: Basketball
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With the experience to judge, one need not pre-judge.
- John Wooden
Collection: Judging
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A mentor must always guide, never push. It was my job to listen to them, offer my perspective, and encourage them to pursue the ideals they believed to be true.
- John Wooden
Collection: Jobs
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Details create success.
- John Wooden
Collection: Details
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For an athlete to function properly, he must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.
- John Wooden
Collection: Fun
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I always stress condition with my basketball players. I don’t mean physical condition only. You cannot attain and maintain physical condition unless you are morally and mentally conditioned.
- John Wooden
Collection: Basketball
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When we aren't alert, we miss opportunities to improve ourselves. We should always watch for circumstances or situations that can help or harm us and be eager to learn from these encounters.
- John Wooden
Collection: Opportunity
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One of the greatest motivating factors is the pat on the back, although with some individuals, you have to make the pat a little lower or a little harder.
- John Wooden
Collection: Littles
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All change may not be progress, but all progress is the result of change
- John Wooden
Collection: Progress
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We are all equal in that we can all strive to become the best we are capable of becoming. We can always improve but we shouldn't compare ourselves to others. We get in trouble when we start trying to measure up to someone else.
- John Wooden
Collection: Trying
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If pursuing material things becomes your only goal, you will fail in so many ways. Besides, in time all material things go away.
- John Wooden
Collection: Goal

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