Famed UCLA basketball coach John Wooden died 16 years ago at the age of 99.
asserted
Wooden → fame → 99
Wooden, also know as the “Wizard of Westwood” helmed UCLA’s team for 27 years.
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Wooden → know → years
During one 12-year stretch, he led the Bruins to an unprecedented 10 national championships.
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he → lead → championships
That’s a record that nobody has ever — or will ever — surpass.
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nobody → ’ → that
He retired in 1975.
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He → retire → 1975
A year later, when I was 14 years old, I began playing basketball myself for Mammoth HS, a small school in ski town nestled in California’s Eastern Sierra Mountains.
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I → begin → Mountains
I had never played before.
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I → play → ?
So I was in the market for coaching — extreme coaching, the kind that the Wizard of Westwood could offer.
uncertain
Wizard → offer → Westwood
Turns out I was in luck.
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I → turn → luck
Wooden was holding a basketball camp for young athletes in Southern California, and I was intent on being there.
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I → hold → California
The only problem was that it came with a hefty price tag: $500 a week.
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it → come → tag
But, I figured, no sum would be too big if I could learn from the sport’s greatest mind.
uncertain
I → figure → mind
So I struck a deal with my dad.
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I → strike → dad
If he kicked in half, I would work to kick in the other half.
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I → kick → half
And sure enough, between making beds and bussing tables, I scrounged up $250 and was on my way to California Lutheran University and the John Wooden Basketball Camp.
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I → make → University
I arrived on a Sunday afternoon with a few friends and few hundred aspiring hardcourt stars.
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I → arrive → friends
We were told to get dressed and meet in the gym in 30 minutes, where we figured we’d finally get to meet the heroic coach.
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we → tell → coach
For some reason, we were all given an extra pair of socks.
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we → give → socks
Five minutes after we entered the gymnasium a side door opened.
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door → enter → gymnasium
We watched with bated breath.
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We → watch → breath
And in walked the greatest coach of all time.
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coach → walk → time
Coach Wooden stepped up to the microphone, tapped it a few times, and began to speak.
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Wooden → step → it
“Boys,” he said, “I want you to sit down and take off your shoes and socks.
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you → say → shoes
You should have two pairs of socks.
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You → have → socks
Now, I want you to take the first pair of socks, turn them inside out, and put them on.
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you → want → them
If you do that, you won’t get blisters.
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you → do → blisters
Because, boys, you cannot play good basketball with blisters.
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you → play → blisters
Then he turned and walked out the side door.
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he → turn → door
We never saw him again.
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We → see → him
In other words, I paid $500 to attend the John Wooden Basketball Camp where I learned nothing from John Wooden about dribbling, shooting, or passing.
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I → pay → dribbling
At the time, I felt burned.
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I → feel → time
But I’ve since noticed something: I never get blisters.
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I → notice → blisters
In fact, to this day, I still play racquetball wearing two pairs of socks, one of them inside out.
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one → play → them
His advice has lasted a lifetime.
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advice → last → lifetime
Coach Wooden would be the first to acknowledge that it’s impossible to turn a bunch of teenage boys into basketball stars in five days.
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it → acknowledge → days
But if you give those players the fundamentals, then you’re providing them the physical foundation to get to the next level.
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you → give → level
I’ve since sought out more of Coach Wooden’s everyday teachings.
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I → seek → teachings
Make every day a masterpiece.
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day → make → ?
Make friendship a fine art.
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friendship → make → ?
We could all benefit from a little more Coach Wooden in our lives.
uncertain
We → benefit → lives
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
