Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court

Sports as Teacher

Sports show us so clearly how to work together with others to get the best results. They show that you must think of the group as a whole rather than just of yourself as an individual.

I often used the comparison of a movie or stage play. One great actor or actress isn’t enough. You must have supporting players if it’s going to become a great motion picture: not only other actors and actresses (some of whom may not even have speaking roles), but also lighting people, scriptwriters, makeup artists, camera operators, grips, musicians, and everyone else. You need a director and a producer.

And the important thing I wanted my players to understand was that just as a movie needs a variety of individuals all working very hard for ...