Anthony Robbins – Coach John Wooden

AUDIOBOOK ONLY

JOHN WOODEN INTERVIEW SHOW NOTES

PART 1

[2:50] The origins of John Wooden’s life philosophies
[3:20] Never try to be better than someone else, and never cease to try the very best you should be
[4:45] John’s  seven-point creed given from his father
[5:40] Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece and drink deeply from good books, make friendship a fine art, give thanks for your blessings, pray for guidance every day
[6:20] Pivotal moments that shaped John’s life
[7:30] Control your temper, don’t use profanity
[7:55] Finding balance over emotional extremes
[8:15] Scores do not determine whether you won or lost
[8:35] A day gone by without improvement is a day lost
[9:00] Regardless of a game’s outcome, no excessive dejection or jubilation
[9:20] Only be ashamed if you did not prepare yourself properly
[10:00] Why he scouted opponents less and focused on his team’s preparation more
[11:15] How he prepared his team before games
[11:30] Play one game at a time, don’t look ahead or behind you
[12:00] The only real way to affect the future is by what you do in the present
[12:30] The power of repetition
[13:00] Habits are formed through consistent repetition
[13:30] During practice, your focus should be completely on the game
[14:00] When practice is over, you’re not a basketball player, you’re a student
[14:20] John’s career as a basketball player
[15:00] How his coach helped him find his priorities
[15:50] What John Wooden was like as a player
[16:10] Proud of his accomplishments, but the game has changed
[17:00] Coach says he was one of the most unselfish players he had ever had and one of the most conditioned players he had ever seen
[17:20] He honed what he could control
[18:00] Preparing his team mentally and physically
[18:20] You may be outmatched, but you do have control over your own conditioning
[18:50] Every person on a team has a profound responsibility during practice and outside of practice
[19:30] Practice moderation in all things
[20:00] You must keep pressure on your opponents at all times
[20:30] How he conditioned his players — through individual fundamental drills
[21:00] Structuring his practices with precision
[21:20] The importance of having a lesson plan when teaching — or else you will waste an enormous amount of time
[22:20] He kept track of every minute of every practice
[23:00] After practice, he would take notes and use that to apply to the next day’s practice
[23:30] Being able to review the notes helped him improve as a coach
[23:50] The road is better than the end
[24:10] What he misses most is the practices, not the games
[24:45] Finding trends and finding balance
[25:45] Never-ending improvement and measuring that
[26:20] You never stand still, you’re either moving upward or sliding down
[26:45] All good things come through adversity
[27:00] The strength that comes through any challenge
[27:30] Don’t fear adversity, learn from it
[28:30] The leader must be concerned with finding the best way, not his own way
[28:45] All those under his supervision must feel that they are working with the leader, not for the leader
[29:00] The leader’s true responsibility
[29:15] Giving the players the treatment they earn and deserve

[30:58] His biggest contribution to the players beyond the court
[31:15] Most proud that they got their degrees and have gone on to do their best in life
[32:15] The beliefs and values he sought to instill in his players
[32:25] Success is the peace of mind knowing that you did the best you could to fulfill your potential
[33:00] Lincoln: It’s better to trust and be disappointed now and then, than it is to distrust and be miserable all the time
[33:25] The worst thing you can do for those you love are the things they could and should do themselves
[33:20] Hopes his players look at him as a friend and teacher
[34:20] How fate landed John at UCLA in 1948
[35:00] Why Minnesota fell through — the fateful storm
[36:30] John’s beliefs on fate and destiny
[37:25] We may not know where our paths lead, but we know they are being directed in some way
[37:35] The story of Eddie Powell
[41:20] Eddie’s triumph on the court
[41:55] Made John wonder how many others he had missed
[42:15] Eddie later became John’s assistant coach
[43:00] John’s first year at UCLA
[45:00] Turning a losing team into a championship team at UCLA
[45:10] Taking raw talent and starting a different style of game
[45:50] The final 5 minutes are what matter the most
[47:50] Why we need love and balance
[49:00] What John looks for in his players