Top 400 John Wooden Quotes (2024 Update)
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401. “The life lessons taught by John Wooden have become legend. Here’s a collection of some of the greatest ‘Woodenisms.’”

— John Wooden

402. “Winning games, titles and championships isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but getting there, the journey, is a lot more than it’s cracked up to be.”

— John Wooden

403. “Those of us who have been blessed with worldly success have an even greater responsibility to make an impact with our time, talents, and resources.”

— John Wooden

404. “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

405. “If you let social activities take precedence over your academic activities, then you will soon lose your basketball activities.”

— John Wooden

406. “It is most difficult, in my mind, to separate any success, whether it be in your profession, your family, or as in my case, in basketball, from religion.”

— John Wooden

407. “An effective leader develops the ability to correctly identify the pertinent detail or details – incidentals in a market, industry or sport that might create an incremental advantage.”

— John Wooden

408. “I am not a strategic coach; I am a practice coach.”

— John Wooden

409. “I do not want players who do not have a keen desire to win and do not play hard and aggressively to accomplish that objective.”

— John Wooden

410. “In life, worthwhile accomplishments and acquisitions take time. Usually the better the reward, the more time it takes to acquire it.”

— John Wooden

411. “Never be thrown off stride in how you behave or what you believe in because of outside events.”

— John Wooden

412. “People ask me if I’d permit fancy things, like dunks. Well, if they did dunk, it was with no fancy flair. No behind-the-back dribbles or passes unless necessary. If it was for show, you were on the bench.”

— John Wooden

413. “Dwelling in the past prevents doing something in the present.”

— John Wooden

414. “I’m no wizard, and I don’t like being thought of in that light at all. I think of a wizard as being some sort of magician or something, doing something on the sly or something, and I don’t want to be thought of in that way.”

— John Wooden

415. “Although I wanted my players to work to win, I tried to convince them they had always won when they had done their best.”

— John Wooden

416. “It is impossible to attain proper physical condition without being sound both mentally and morally.”

— John Wooden

417. “I seldom was ever off my seat on the bench during the game.”

— John Wooden

418. “I’m not going to say I was opposed to the Vietnam War. I’m going to say I’m opposed to war. But I’m also opposed to protests that deny other people their rights.”

— John Wooden

419. “The better conditioned team will probably win in the long run.”

— John Wooden

420. “I found golf was too time consuming, but I did enjoy it.”

— John Wooden

421. “If we, as coaches, aren’t teachers, we are nothing.”

— John Wooden

422. “If I did only what I wanted to do, I would not be obedient to the Creator. Sometimes He wants us to do certain things that we may not feel like doing. When it comes to what God asks of us, we need more than good intentions we need to follow through fully.”

— John Wooden

423. “My eyesight is not nearly as good. My hearing is probably going away. My memory is slipping too. But I’m still around.”

— John Wooden

424. “Our titles would not have been possible without the unselfishness displayed by all our teams, the team wins, not the individuals.”

— John Wooden

425. “Consideration for others brings many things.”

— John Wooden

426. “I like to give opinions, not suggestions.”

— John Wooden

427. “He who truly seeks God has found Him.”

— John Wooden

428. “We are many, but are we much?”

— John Wooden

429. “I was built up from my dad more than anyone else.”

— John Wooden

430. “I wanted my players to always be searching, especially for truth. I wanted them to know what they believed and be able to defend it. Truth will always stand the test of scrutiny.”

— John Wooden

431. “I don’t think I was a fine game coach I think I was a good practice coach.”

— John Wooden

432. “I also wanted my basketball players to know that I really cared about them. Forget basketball; as a person, I cared, I cared about their family.”

— John Wooden

433. “If a player’s not doing the things he should, put him on the bench. He’ll come around.”

— John Wooden

434. “I’d be satisfied just coaching in high school. I turned down a number of colleges when I was teaching in South Bend, Indiana, before I went into the service. I honestly believe that if I hadn’t enlisted in the service, I would never have left high school teaching. I’m sure I would have never left.”

— John Wooden

435. “I think permitting the game to become too physical takes away a little bit of the beauty.”

— John Wooden

436. “The problem with new is you don’t have time for the old ones.”

— John Wooden

437. “If I were a young coach today, I would be extremely careful in selecting assistants.”

— John Wooden

438. “I believe correcting is the positive approach. I believe in the positive approach. Always have.”

— John Wooden

439. “Generally speaking, individual performances don’t win basketball games.”

— John Wooden

440. “With the experience to judge, one need not pre-judge.”

— John Wooden

441. “When you get to be 95, travel doesn’t come as easily.”

— John Wooden

442. “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

443. “When everyone has good players, teaching will be a telling difference.”

— John Wooden

444. “You’ve never heard of them- and you never will .”

— John Wooden

445. “Do passing drills that come from your offense.”

— John Wooden

446. “Each of us has a huge capacity to learn and to achieve. Being ever alert makes the task of becoming all we are capable of becoming so much easier.”

— John Wooden