John Wooden quotes

Born
October 14, 1910 Hall, Indiana.

Died
June 4, 2010.

Occupation
Basketball player, coach.

John Wooden was an American basketball player and head coach at the University of California at Los Angeles. Nicknamed the “Wizard of Westwood,” he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period as head coach at UCLA.

If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.
– John Wooden

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
– John Wooden

The most important thing in the world is family and love.
– John Wooden

Passion is momentary; love is enduring.
– John Wooden

If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?
– John Wooden

I talked to the players and tried to make them aware of what was good and bad, but I didn’t try to run their lives.
– John Wooden

It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.
– John Wooden

It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.
– John Wooden

Don’t let making a living prevent you from making a life.
– John Wooden

Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.
– John Wooden

Never lie, never cheat, never steal.
– John Wooden

Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.
– John Wooden

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
– John Wooden

Earn the right to be proud and confident.
– John Wooden

I found golf was too time consuming, but I did enjoy it.
– John Wooden

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.
– John Wooden

All of life is peaks and valleys. Don’t let the peaks get too high and the valleys too low.
– John Wooden

Discipline yourself, and others won’t need to.
– John Wooden

Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.
– John Wooden

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.
– John Wooden

You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.
– John Wooden

Today is the only day. Yesterday is gone.
– John Wooden

Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece. Help others. Drink deeply from good books. Make friendship a fine art. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
– John Wooden

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.
– John Wooden

I am just a common man who is true to his beliefs.
– John Wooden

Ability is a poor man’s wealth.
– 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

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.
– John Wooden

Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.
– John Wooden

I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession.
– John Wooden