John Wooden, UCLA basketball coach, was well-known as a genious of basketball. He led his university to 10 NCAA champions and inspired some of the greats in the world of athletics. But his real contributions as many of us know was that he was coach of men. He wasn’t placed in this world to gain great acclaim from basketball, though in basketball he gained acclaim. His purpose was to pass along a simple advice to others.
The following was a creed given to him from his father the moment he passed grammar class. He kept these words close to him even until his ripe age of nearly 100.
- Be true to yourself
- Make each day your masterpiece
- Help others
- Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible
- Make friendship a fine art
- Build a shelter against a rainy day
- Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day
At God’s footstool to confess,
A poor soul knelt and bowed his head.
“I failed,” he cried. The Master said,
“Thou didst thy best, that is success.”
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