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Lt Col Charlie Brown
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Great player and coach!
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SSG Michael Noll
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Great share Sir, thank you.
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LTC Stephen F.
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Edited 5 y ago
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Thank you, my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that October 14 is the anniversary of the birth of American basketball player and head coach at the University of California, Los Angeles John Robert Wooden who "won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period as head coach at UCLA, including a record seven in a row."
Rest in peace John Robert Wooden.

Coach: The Life and Legacy of John R. Wooden
"The documentary short entitled Coach: The Life and Legacy of John R. Wooden celebrates the lessons and life philosophy of the legendary UCLA basketball coach. Wooden's legacy reaches so far that he is considered by many to be the 20th century’s most revered teacher and master mentor. You'll see seldom-before-seen Wooden footage and interviews with some of the most successful coaches, athletes and thought leaders who were all influenced by Coach Wooden's teachings and philosophies for a successful life."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYKbLYTvQbE

Images:
1. John Wooden Purdue University basketball player
2. John Wooden and his wife Nellie Wooden.
3. John Wooden 'Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.'
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and John Wooden.jpg

Background from thewoodeneffect.com/about-coach/
"About Coach John Wooden
Meet the man who had a profound impact on so many
John Robert Wooden is considered the greatest NCAA basketball head coach of all time. But many people knew him simply as coach. On the court, Wooden led the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball program to an impressive number of wins, with a 664-162 record, and was named NCAA College Basketball Coach of the Year six times.

In his more than 40 years as a coach, and through his years as head coach at UCLA, Wooden built teams, an elite athletic program and a legacy that astounded the sports world. While his success on the court is heavily celebrated, Wooden’s teachings extend far beyond the realm of sports. A master teacher, he created the Pyramid of Success and wrote several books to share his philosophy with the world.
John Wooden was born Oct. 14, 1910, in Hall, Indiana to Roxie Anne and Joshua Hugh Wooden. He grew up on a modest farm with no electricity, where he rose early every morning to help milk the cows and do other farm chores before he headed to school. It was his father that gave him the very first foundation of what would later become the Pyramid of Success.

Wooden began playing a rudimentary version of basketball with his three brothers Maurice, Daniel and William—with a homemade basketball and a tomato basket as a hoop in a barn. But 17 years later, after moving to Martinsville, he would lead the town’s high school basketball team to the Indiana State championship in 1927.

Wooden went on to play ball as a guard at Purdue University from 1928 to 1932, earning three straight All-America selections and named college basketball player of the year. He was selected as team captain when he was a junior, and graduated Purdue with an English degree.

He married the love of his life, Nell Riley, soon after in 1932.

In his early career, Wooden taught English and coached several sports at both Dayton High School in Kentucky and South Bend Central High School in Indiana.

As a teacher, Wooden taught his students that academic success was about more than grades; As a coach, Wooden taught his players that a victory was about more than the number on the scoreboard. He cared deeply for the athletes he led and encouraged them to be winners on more than just the court. To inspire his students and players to work their hardest, he developed the principles of his Pyramid of Success teaching model during his time at South Bend Central High School and beyond.

John and Nell Wooden with children Jim and NanIn 1942, Wooden served as a Navy lieutenant during World War II, and shortly thereafter he returned to the world of basketball. In 1946 coached basketball at Indiana State Teachers College. His basketball teams secured a 44-15 record over two seasons and back-to-back Indiana Collegiate Conference titles. He also coached baseball and served as athletic director while he earned a Master’s degree in English.

In 1947 his team received an invitation to the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB) National Tournament in Kansas City, however he refused the invite because the NAIB banned African-American players.

Wooden arrived at UCLA to take over as head basketball coach in 1948. At the time, the facilities to build a team were subpar, but Wooden was focused on giving his team the discipline to become great competitors—and his players’ hard work paid off.

Over time UCLA won 38 straight NCAA tournaments, had 88 consecutive victories, secured four perfect 30-0 seasons and won 10 national championships. Wooden was the first person to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both player and coach.

“Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”

Wooden and Nell, his wife of 53 years, had two children, Nan and Jim.

Wooden Presidential MedalWooden retired in 1975 but continued to be an influential figure in sports. He received several awards after retiring, including the Reagan Distinguished American Award in 1995 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003.

Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom, George W. Bush said, “All his players will tell you, the most important man on their team was not on the court. He was the man who taught generations of basketball players the fundamentals of hard work and discipline, patience and teamwork. Coach Wooden remains a part of their lives as a teacher of the game, and as an example of what a good man should be.”

After a long illness, Nell died in 1985. John was by her bedside. Wooden died June 4, 2010, four months shy of his 100th birthday. He is survived by his two children and seven grandchildren.

Wooden created a lasting legacy, and his lessons continue to have a positive influence on both those in the sports world and people looking to accomplish their goals."

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CWO3 Retired
CWO3 (Join to see)
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LTC Stephen F. - Sir, Thank you for sharing this amazing man. I’ve read all his books on leadership, his teams, his Pyramid Chart. Everything I could get my hands on I got it. I met him and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar many many moons ago. He was the greatest basketball coach I have ever seen. God Bless him as he is with his wife and the angels forever.
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
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You are very welcome, my friend CWO3 (Join to see).
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