John+Robert+Wooden

=**Introduction**= "Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self given. Be careful."- John Wooden (Brainy Quotes). Wooden believes that talents should be expressed in different ways other then showing it off for fame. Being thankful for the gifts we have is a way of showing how humble you are. Fame is something that you achieve for the world not yourself. Having pride in yourself is never a bad thing, but you should never look down upon people either. John Robert Wooden would never disrespect himself in the way a lot of others do, and he feels the need to remind others of this.

=**Personal Background**= The most successful man known so far in this lifetime would be John Robert Wooden. John Wooden was born October 14th 1910 and died June 4th 2010. He died at the age 99, and his wife passed away at age 73. Before he passed away he lived in a condominium in Encino very close to U.C.L.A (Witz). Mr. Wooden grew up in Indiana where he attended school and met his first and only wife (Gregory). This man is most often known as the best coach U.C.L.A has had at their campus. He wasn’t just a coach Mr. Wooden was also an English teacher and too most who knew him a life long mentor.

John Wooden was morally respectful and religious. He didn’t care much of his own reputation but he cared more about his character, which has been quoted in his own book “ A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court”. Some may say he was a man of god, or maybe even god himself (Craggs). This is what brought him to be known as the most successful man who lived. Wooden grew up with a very well mannered family that taught him what he knew. He believed that he needed to treat other people equally because he wasn’t any different from them (Wooden).

Wooden loved teaching his English students very much. Teaching wasn’t the only thing he loved doing. He loved playing and coaching basketball too (Fisher). Not only did he just enjoy coaching he was awfully great at it. Other big time coaches found Mr. Wooden inspiring (Gregory). This man was a true leader John Robert Wooden had a good long lasting life that he enjoyed living. He will always be remembered for his hard work and amazing character.

=**Personality Traits**= John Robert Wooden never kept to himself about his personal background. Wooden wrote an autobiography named, “A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court”. What he says about himself is that he likes to teach and learn from his students. Often times he catches himself trusting anyone he speaks to because he does not believe people are any different than he is (Wooden). Wooden was determined to do anything he could possibly do and he would never give up (Craggs). No matter what John Wooden came across he was always hardworking. People thought of him as an owl because he could do almost anything he set his mind to (Gregory).

Wooden never held on to things and was never resentful. He would forgive people even though he felt like he should not. Wooden was a very dedicated man he hitchhiked from Indiana for a job he did not get, but no matter what he did he not stop searching for a job (Witz). People who viewed him as a role model always found him to be a gentleman or old fashion. Wooden was the kind of guy that would not leave you behind he was always generous. John Wooden was mostly known for being a basketball coach, and was very motivating to his team (Tierney).

John Wooden respected his religion very much that most of his life rules consisted of his beliefs (Craggs). Even though he was known for being a basketball coach he was also known for being very successful. He loved his life, and the people that had the chance to be around him. He would never regret the choices he made in life because without them he could not have been the person he chose to be. It is your experiences in life that make you who you are (Wooden).

=**Obstacles**= John Robert Wooden would say he was exactly the same as everyone else. By that I believe he means that everyone has bad habits, problems, and obstacles. He was the kind of man to see everyday life as a lesson God planted for him (Wooden). As he aged he needed to stop coaching basketball. Basketball was something he loved, but he needed to use his time for religion because he found it more important (Craggs).

Coming out of high school in Indiana Wooden needed money so he hitchhiked around and out of town. He was no longer a kid and needed to be responsible for himself (Witz). In high school he met this beautiful girl named Nellie. As they grew older they got married and lived 53 amazing years together. His loving wife died at the age of 73 due to cancer. Wooden had to grow comfortable living without his wife that he truly missed very much (Gregory).

No matter how hard life got he trusted in God and himself to get through the hard times he was going to experience (Wooden). The biggest obstacle he had in life would be leaving his legacy to the people who needed the help. Wooden should have been known mostly for the example he set out to the world not the famous coach he became. Wooden worked to become a better person because people are not born perfect (Witz).

=Historical Significance= The Wizard of Westwood known to be John Wooden is the best basketball coach U.C.L.A has ever had so far. When he was alive his legacy included coaching 88 basketball wins (Witz). Wooden was so amazing he was idolized by many other great coaches. Why would coaches not idolize him? He was the first coach to win the hall of fame and the only coach to win a huge amount of championships (Gregory). People viewed him as the most successful man in the planet.

Wooden did not care for the materialized version of success he cared for //real// kind of success (Tierney). Things like not putting yourself first, being loyal, respectful, and loving everyone were his goals in life. He made the pyramid of success so that true success could be learned throughout the world (Craggs). Just like most people he learned proper manners by his parents. His father was very big on making sure his family seemed polite and mature. Wooden always believed that his father was the one who started the legacy. The rules he had to follow when he was younger seemed to turn into habits. Becoming someone great only became easier as he matured (Wooden).

These amazing characteristics only came naturally to Wooden and he inspired everyone who knew him. Coaching, teaching, playing ball, and loving God was his main concern in life (Fisher). Time passed and Wooden realized how much help he had to offer to others and started writing books. He has helped so many people view the world differently through his books. The message he was able to send out to people was about how he was able to become who he is.

In conclusion, Wooden was a very well known man for coaching at U.C.L.A. His historical significance was being someone no one else could be. Everyone who knew him saw him as a very holy man. He made sure he stressed about the love he had for God. In my eyes no one could be as successful or so nearly perfect as he was.

=**Reference**= Craggs,Tommy. "What the Legendary Coach gets Wrong about Basketball." //Slate Magazine//. 8 Dec 2008. //Slate Magazine.com//. Web.3 Nov. 2014. **SE#4**

Fisher,Brenna. "Words of Wisdom: UCLA Legend John Wooden," //Success Magazine//. 30 June 2008. //Success.com//. Web. 13 Oct. 2014. **SE#3**

Gregory,Sean. "Remebering John Wooden the Greatest College Basketball Coach of all Time Dies at 99." //Times Magazine//. June 2010. //Times.// Web. 30 Sep. 201 4. **SE#3**

Tierney, Trevor. "Trevor Tierney on John Wooden: The Creative Coach," //True Sport.// 2014. //True Sports.org//. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. **SE#6**

Wiltz, Billy. "Wooden's Legacy Extends Beyond Title," //The New York Times//. 6 June 2010. //The New York Times//. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. **SE#5**

Wooden, John. Jamison, Steve. //Wooden A Lifetime of Observations and Reflection on and off the Court.// Chicago: Contemperary Books, 1997. Print. **SE#1**

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