John Wooden Quotes

303 John Wooden Quotes

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Be on time.
John Wooden

Make each day your masterpiece.
John Wooden

Don’t think you can make up for it by working twice as hard tomorrow. If you have it within your power to work twice as hard, I want you to do it right now.
John Wooden

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

Punishment invokes fear. I wanted a team whose members were filled with pride, not fear.
John Wooden

You just went beyond really good to being great.
John Wooden

Give me 100 percent. You can’t make up for a poor effort today by giving 110 percent tomorrow. You don’t have 110 percent. You only have 100 percent, and that’s what I want from you right now.
John Wooden

I prefer to give a ‘pat on the back’ as a motivational tool, although sometimes the pat must be a little lower and a little harder.
John Wooden

You can always do more than you think you can.
John Wooden

Each member of your team has the potential for personal greatness; the leader’s job is to help them achieve it.
John Wooden



Be ready and your chance may come. If you are not ready, it may not come again. Be ready when your opportunity arrives or it may not arrive again.
John Wooden

Give me the best you’ve got. That’s all I ask.
John Wooden

“Make sure you can hold your head up high after the game.” They all knew I wasn’t talking about the final score.
John Wooden

In whatever role I assign you, execute your responsibilities to the very best of your ability.
John Wooden

An effective leader is very good at listening. And it’s difficult to listen when you are talking.
John Wooden

Never make excuses. Your friends don’t need them, and your foes won’t believe them.
John Wooden

Make each day your masterpiece.
John Wooden

You can’t do anything about yesterday, and the only way to improve tomorrow is by what you do right now.
John Wooden

Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.
John Wooden

Be a competitor. When the going gets tough, really get going.
John Wooden



The best way to improve the team is to improve yourselves.
The best way to improve the team is to improve ourself.
John Wooden

Ability may get you to the top but it takes character to stay there.
John Wooden

It’s important to keep trying to do what you think is right, no matter how hard it is or how often you fail. You never stop trying.
John Wooden

For maximum team accomplishment, each individual must prepare himself to the best of his ability and then put his talent to work for the team. This must be done unselfishly, without thought of personal glory. When no one worries about who will receive the credit, far more can be accomplished in any group activity.
John Wooden

I’m asked, “Coach Wooden, how did you win all those championships?” My response is factual: “I didn’t win all those championships. Our team did.
John Wooden

I must caution you that you cannot live in the past. The 1971–72 season is now history, and we must look toward the future. The past cannot change what is to come. The work that you do each and every day is the only true way to improve and prepare yourself for what is to come. You cannot change the past, but you can influence the future by what you do today.
John Wooden

The past cannot change what is to come. The work that you do each and every day is the only true way to improve and prepare yourself for what is to come. You cannot change the past, and you can only influence the future by what you do today.
John Wooden

Build a shelter against a rainy day.
John Wooden

Fear has a place. Pride has first place.
John Wooden

If I do not feel there is a place where you can contribute, I would not want to waste your time, and if you do not feel that you are part of the team as a whole, then you should drop out. Although I prefer to go too far with a play rather than not far enough, I will drop you when I feel certain that you are wasting your time.
John Wooden



There is much truth in Kipling’s “Law of the Jungle” where he says, “The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.” If you discipline yourself toward team effort under the supervision of the coach, even though you may not always agree with my decisions, much can and will be accomplished. As someone once said, “You will be amazed at how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.
John Wooden

Come in and talk to me whenever you feel like it, but please remember that it isn’t necessarily lack of communication if we fail to agree on your position or another individual on the team. I am and will always be interested in your problems, but I do feel that everyone should do everything possible to work out their own problems rather than become dependent upon others. I have found prayer most helpful when I am troubled, and I believe that all prayers are heard and answered, even though the answer may be “no.”
John Wooden

Get even by scoring. Get even by winning.
John Wooden

A leader is wise to remember that a big producer is assisted by a big team.
John Wooden

My experience in teaching and coaching over many years has naturally caused me to become somewhat opinionated in certain areas, but even most of those who are inexperienced will agree that experience is a great, although sometimes hard, teacher.
John Wooden

The ancient proverb says, “Crisis presents opportunity.” It is the opportunity to dig deeper and rise higher; to get stronger and be smarter; to find a better way, a different path. Adversity offers the opportunity, but you must recognize it.
John Wooden

It has been almost four months since our basketball season came to a close. It was a very successful season [UCLA had won its sixth national championship in seven years], but it is now history and we must look toward the future. The past cannot change what is to come. It is what you do today that counts, and I sincerely hope that you are looking forward to an outstanding 1970–71 season and are eager, not just willing, to make the necessary personal sacrifices to reach that goal. All worthwhile accomplishments require sacrifice and hard work.
John Wooden

Fellas, we’ve got to play at our best. Let’s do that.
John Wooden

Does anybody here remember who was the runner-up in last year’s national championship?
John Wooden

Fellas, I want you to become men, not just beat somebody in basketball.
John Wooden



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