Recently Read: "The Greatest Coach Ever"

Timeless Wisdom and Insights of John Wooden

If you've never heard of John Wooden, google him.  Even if you think sports are the worst thing on the planet, learn about who he was and how he lived his life because he was an awesome, awesome man!  John Wooden was the men's basketball coach at UCLA in the '60s and '70s and won 10 National Championships.  He died in June of 2010 just a few months short of the age 100.  He died before the book I just read was published.  The Fellowship of Christian Athletes put together 40 different stories from athletes and coaches who were influenced by John Wooden to make the book, The Greatest Coach Ever.  The best part about the book was that it wasn't at all about how great of a coach John Wooden was or how great it was that he won so many championships.  It was about his character and deep faith.  It was about how John Wooden touched the lives of those he encountered from his star players down to the managers.  From a rival coach down to a grad assistant just trying to learn the ropes. 

Most of the people who wrote a chapter for this book talked about how John Wooden lived his life so similarly to Jesus.  All of them took a character trait of Wooden and related it to Jesus.  It was really amazing to read.  Every person had so much respect for Wooden.  There weren't just basketball players and coaches, either.  Football, volleyball, women's basketball, swimming, athletic directors, pastors, tv analysts, and many more were represented in the book.  I loved reading about their faith and what they learned about faith from Wooden.

John Wooden created "The Pyramid of Success" that I won't take time to break down here, but it can be used for all aspects of life, not just in sports.  All of the people who wrote for this book spoke about The Pyramid and how it worked for them.  I strongly encourage anyone to read this book, even if you don't like basketball or sports.  There is a lot that can be learned from John Wooden and I have loved every book I've ever read by him or about him.  People always talk about his deep faith and how he served others.  I hope that I can learn from his example and serve others the way he did!