“Even with his staggering accomplishments, he remained humble and gracious. He said he tried to live by advice from his father: ‘Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books -- especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day.’”—UCLA coach John Wooden, quoted in “Wooden Dies at 99,” Associated Press, June 5, 2010
Fifteen years ago, at a convention held by my company, I heard pro basketball coach Pat Riley mention what his father told him as a child: “You are made of special stuff.”
The advice from the father of John Wooden might not have been as much of a confidence-booster, but it was more detailed and, I think, more helpful as a guide to living.
In the two days since Coach Wooden’s passing, the media have reported, of course, on his 10 NCAA championships with UCLA (including an astounding 88 consecutive games won). But what’s been equally telling have been the remarks of former players about his “midwestern values.” It’s all there, really, in what his father told him—advice that he himself tried to pass on not only to his own children but to other young, unformed men for whom he served as a surrogate parent--at the height of his career, in the most tumultuous of times for America's youth.
Fifteen years ago, at a convention held by my company, I heard pro basketball coach Pat Riley mention what his father told him as a child: “You are made of special stuff.”
The advice from the father of John Wooden might not have been as much of a confidence-booster, but it was more detailed and, I think, more helpful as a guide to living.
In the two days since Coach Wooden’s passing, the media have reported, of course, on his 10 NCAA championships with UCLA (including an astounding 88 consecutive games won). But what’s been equally telling have been the remarks of former players about his “midwestern values.” It’s all there, really, in what his father told him—advice that he himself tried to pass on not only to his own children but to other young, unformed men for whom he served as a surrogate parent--at the height of his career, in the most tumultuous of times for America's youth.
No comments:
Post a Comment