Coach John Wooden epitomizes what a coach should be. Earlier this year, he passed away at the age of 99. In the 1960s and ’70s, his UCLA team dominated the college basketball scene. The book, “They Call Me Coach”, is his autobiography.

Coach John Wooden was speaking quite softly. He was precise in his practices and games. Before becoming a coach, he was a great point guard at Purdue University. He became a Hall of Famer both as a college basketball player and as a coach. When he speaks, he sounds like a poet or an English teacher because he uses poems and quotes to make a point.

The book vividly illustrates how Coach Wooden had strong principles that he lived by. The two key sources of his life and training philosophies come from his father’s Seven Point Creed and his Pyramid of Success.

The Seven Point Creed says:

* Be honest with yourself.

* Make each day your masterpiece.

* Help others.

* Drink lots of good books, especially the Bible.

* Make friendship an art.

* Build a shelter against a rainy day.

* Pray for guidance and be thankful for their blessings every day.

The Pyramid of Success is a list of fundamental principles layered by:

* Competitive greatness

* Balance

* Confidence

* Condition

* Ability

* Team spirit

* Self-control

* Alert

* Initiative

* Intent

* Industriousness

* Friendship

* Loyalty

* Cooperation

* Enthusiasm

Your story can help anyone in any field to improve and ultimately achieve their best. The Coach Wooden story is one of success through strong basic principles. He was a master of details. In the book, there is a story about how important it was to put your socks on correctly. He even taught his players how to do it. Another key aspect of Coach Wooden is that it is not directly talking about winning. Instead, he teaches his players to do their best. If they do their best, the outcome doesn’t matter that much.

Coach Wooden coached a variety of great players, including Lew Alcindor (aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich, and many others. He treated each player fairly. Fair is not the same as equal. He had to spend a little more time with the star players, but he acknowledges and recognizes the importance of each player. Many of his former players succeeded in basketball at a professional level, but most of them succeeded in other areas such as business, medicine, teaching, ministry, etc.

This book is a must read for anyone who coaches, including sports coaches, parents, business leaders, supervisors, etc.