Sunday, October 25, 2009

WOODEN LOVED "SHARPNESS" IN PRACTICE

"He loved sharpness. If Coach Wooden didn't see it in practice, that intensity of attention and execution -- the effort -- he might say very coldly, 'OK, we're through today. You didn't come here to work.' Marques Johnson or one of us would say, 'No, no, no. We'll get it going. C'mon, we'll get it going.' Almost pleading with him to give us another chance to work harder.

Maybe his Midwestern upbringing, that lifestyle, put a love of hard work into him. Coach Wooden loved hard work. He wanted to see it from the players. If not, no yelling or screaming, he'd just threaten to end practice. And he wasn't afraid to follow through on the threat."


Dave Meyers (UCLA 1973-75)

From "The Essential Wooden" by John Wooden and Steve Jamison