John Wooden Philosophies #3 – Jason Hirsch

3.  Help Others.

Sounds simple right?  Immediately many of you may be thinking, homeless, orphans, sick, elderly, etc.  While benevolence to the under resourced is necessary, and an earmark of Disciples of Jesus Christ.  I think this philosophy goes a little bit further than touching the fringe and outcast of our culture.

Let me explain.  John Wooden made his men that he led, better.  He invested in them at every turn.

Of the 180 players who played for him, Wooden knew the whereabouts of 172. Of course, it’s not hard when most of them would call, checking on his health, secretly hoping to hear some of his simple life lessons so that they could write them on the lunch bags of their kids, who would roll their eyes. “Discipline yourself, and others won’t need to,” Wooden would say. “Never lie, never cheat, never steal,” Wooden would say. “Earn the right to be proud and confident.”

If you played for him, you played by his rules: Never score without acknowledging a teammate. One word of profanity, and you’re done for the day. Treat your opponent with respect.

He believed in hopelessly out-of-date stuff that never did anything but win championships. No dribbling behind the back or through the legs. “There’s no need,” he’d say. No UCLA basketball number was retired under his watch. “What about the fellows who wore that number before? Didn’t they contribute to the team?” he’d say. No long hair, no facial hair. “They take too long to dry, and you could catch cold leaving the gym,” he’d say.

That one drove his players bonkers. One day, All-America center Bill Walton showed up with a full beard. “It’s my right,” he insisted. Wooden asked if he believed that strongly. Walton said he did. “That’s good, Bill,” Coach said. “I admire people who have strong beliefs and stick by them, I really do. We’re going to miss you.” Walton shaved it right then and there. Later in life Walton would call once a week to tell Wooden he loved him.

I think helping others for Wooden was more than touching the beggar on the street.  I think it was the universal belief that, every person mattered!  That God places certain people in your paths to help make them better.  To push them to do what is right.  To help them become all that they can be in life.  Wooden did just that! He helped his men become all that they could be on his watch. He helped them excel academically, morally, physically, and the list could go on.

I think Wooden’s philosophy of “Help Others”, was a shout out to mentor the people God places in your life.  Care for them.  Model a life of integrity, and demand the same from those you lead.  Then equip them with the tools necessary to become the leaders that they would eventually become.

Wooden would never tell you to not help the poor and needy.  But he would tell you to not forget to help those you directly oversee.  He believed the best, hoped the best, and saw men become the best under his leadership.   Helping others wasn’t just a clever cliché, Wooden really lived it!

Who are you helping become better everyday?