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

Hopes and Dreams

Having a dream is often like hoping for something. It’s easy to let our dreams and our hopes get away from reality.

Youngsters are told, “Think big. Anything is possible.” I would never go that strong. I want them to think positively, but when you think big you often start thinking too big, and I believe that can be very dangerous.

Wanting an unattainable goal will eventually produce a feeling of “What’s the use?” That feeling can carry over into other areas. This is bad.

A youngster may dream of being seven feet tall. Hoping for something of that nature is not productive. We should keep our dreams within the realm of possibility— difficult but possible—and make every effort to achieve them.

I have often been asked when I first ...