John Wooden's Reputation

Words: 1793
Pages: 8

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are” – John Wooden. In life, everyone is always concerned about their reputation, when what really matters is how you see yourself. Your character is what sets your reputation. John Wooden, a man most well-known for coaching the UCLA men’s basketball team, was admirable not only for his reputation and incredible coaching skills, but also for building character, being encouraging, and growing the sport of basketball. John Wooden came from humble beginnings. On the fall day of October 14, 1910, the third Wooden child took his first breath (John par. 1, Great par. 1). John Wooden lived on a farm in Hall, Indiana, with no running water or electricity (Great par. 1). He had three brothers named Maurice, Daniel, and Billy, and they loved to play a different form of …show more content…
He served as the athletic director coach at Indiana State University in Terre Haute (Great par. 5). He would also coach basketball at the university (John par. 2). In 1948, Wooden headed across the country to coach men’s basketball at UCLA, where he would spend the rest of his coaching career (Great par. 5). John Wooden would eventually become a coaching legend, but it took him a while to get there. John Wooden found success off the court too. He married his first and only wife Nellie, on August 8, 1932 in Indianapolis (St. James par. 4, Wooden 51). When they married, Wooden was 21 years old and Nellie was 20 years old (Wooden 51). John Wooden never actually proposed to Nellie, instead they just decided, after they finished college, they would get see a preacher to get married (Wooden 35). The Wooden’s had two children together. They had one daughter, Nancy Ann, and one son, James or, Jimmy, Hugh (Wooden 60, 67). The Wooden’s family was complete and family life was important to