Every full life has its bright days and its dark days, its triumphs and defeats, its calm and stormy seas. All these high and low experiences could justify viewing the past through the lens of gratitude or disappointment. And the way we characterize our history will determine whether we look toward our future with hopeful expectations or anxious trepidation. If …
COMMENTARY 776.4: Parents Are Teachers First
When John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach, referred to the last game he “ever taught,” he was asked about this phrasing. He said simply that a coach is first and foremost a teacher who should not only improve his players’ athletic skills, but also help them become better people. And he was a superb teacher whose lasting influence is reflected …
WORTH READING: The Olympic Creed and Oath
The Creed: The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. “The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” The Oath: In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall …
QUOTATION: What It Takes to Become an Olympian. Some 2,000-Year-Old Advice
“So you wish to conquer in the Olympic games, my friend? And I too, by the Gods, and a fine thing it would be! But first mark the conditions and the consequences, and then set to work. You will have to put yourself under discipline; to eat by rule, to avoid cakes and sweetmeats; to take exercise at the appointed …
OBSERVATION: Talent is necessary but not sufficient. Winners must also have character — Michael Josephson
Talent is like the ante in poker, you can’t get into the game without it. But at the highest levels of any sport everyone has talent. Champions distinguish themselves by their mental and emotional strength. They treat every setback and obstacle as part of the challenge rather than an excuse. A talented athlete can win occasionally, but to stay on …
OBSERVATION: John Wooden on Discipline
Even if there is a price to be paid, don’t be afraid to use appropriate discipline. It may hurt in the short term, but it will pay dividends in the future. I believe one of the big lessons of sports for dedicated individuals and teams is that it shows us how hard work, and I mean hard work, does pay …
OBSERVATION: If you plan on getting better, plan on making mistakes
Making mistakes is an important part of learning for everyone in every setting, but it has special significance in youth sports because children are easily embarrassed and discouraged, especially if they make mistakes in front of other kids.
OBSERVATION: Coaching Is All About Teaching — John Wooden
A leader, particularly a teacher or coach, has a most powerful influence on those he or she leads, perhaps more than anyone outside the family. Therefore, it is the obligation of that leader, teacher, or coach to treat such responsibility as a grave concern.
WORTH READING: The Moral Dimension of Sports: Guiding Principles for Athletic Competition
The Arizona Sports Summit Accord is the basis for the Josephson Institute’s Pursuing Victory With Honor program. It’s an inspiring document, worth re-reading from time to time. The full text is below, and can also be found on our website. On May 25, 1999, nearly 50 influential leaders in sports issued the Arizona Sports Summit Accord to encourage greater emphasis …
WORTH READING: So, Why Should We Care About Sportsmanship?
At its best, athletic competition can hold intrinsic value for our society. It is a symbol of a great ideal: pursuing victory with honor. The love of sports is deeply embedded in our national consciousness. The values of millions of participants and spectators are directly and dramatically influenced by the values conveyed by organized sports. Thus, sports are a major …
WORTH WATCHING: A Softball Player’s Life-Changing Decision
Check out this video about Mallory Holtman’s stellar act of sportsmanship:
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT FOR TEENS: A Life-Changing Decision
Mallory Holtman, the first baseman for her college softball team, had no idea she was about to make a choice that would change her life. During a game that could determine the conference championship, Sara Tucholsky, a player for the other team, hit the ball over the center field fence. Sara was only 5’2”, had had only three hits all …
WORTH READING: So, What Is Sportsmanship?
Sportsmanship is the ethical and moral dimension of sports. It is demonstrated by a number of attributes and attitudes such as fair play, respect for the rules and traditions of the sport and various traits of good character including integrity (abiding by the letter and spirit of the rules and concepts of honor); demonstrated respect for others including teammates, opponents, …
COMMENTARY 776.3: I’m Better Than That
Ron, a nine-year-old boy, was being raised by his mother who didn’t know how to cope with his uncontrollable temper. She knew he was angry that his father had abandoned him, and she tried professional counseling, but nothing seemed to work. So she sent Ron to spend the summer on his grandparents’ farm. When he came home, he was a …
COMMENTARY 776.2: Eighteen Random Life Rules
I love maxims, those concise capsules of worldly wisdom. I collect them and write them and, of course, love to share them. Here are 18 random rules of life worth posting on your mirror or, better yet, using as dinner-time discussion starters. Find the lesson in every failure and you’ll never fail. The likelihood that you’re right is not increased …
COMMENTARY 776.1: Avoiding Temptations
When my daughter Samara was four she pointed to a delicate glass vase and asked, “What’s that?” “It’s very special,” I answered. “It was my mother’s. I would really feel bad if it ever got broken, so please be careful to never, never touch it.” Without a moment’s hesitation she said, “Then you should never, never put it where I …
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT FOR TEENS: Jesse Owens and Luz Long — Sportsmanship and Character
In 1936 the Olympic Games were hosted by Germany, governed by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime. Hitler’s well-known hatred of Jews and his disdain for non-white races was part of the atmosphere of the Games and, to America’s most famous and accomplished African American athlete Jesse Owens, competing in a stadium filled with swastikas and “Heil Hitler’ straight-arm salutes to the …
COMMENTARY 775.5: “I Didn’t Want the Janitor to Lose His Job”
The primary responsibility for instilling good values and building character is with parents. This doesn’t mean, however, that teachers and coaches don’t have a critically important role. The unfortunate fact is that far too many kids are raised in morally impoverished settings that foster lying, cheating, and violence. If we don’t give these children moral instruction, many of them will …
COMMENTARY 775.4: We Expect More of Adults
Although 11-year-old Mark wasn’t much of an athlete, his dad urged him to play youth baseball. Mark liked to play, but he was hurt by the remarks of teammates and spectators whenever he struck out or dropped a ball. Just before the fourth game of the season, Mark told his dad he didn’t want to go. “I’m no good,” he …
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Lessons From the Monkey Pot
Many years ago a man came to a village in India to catch monkeys so he could sell them to zoos. The monkeys, however, were very clever and every sort of trap he set failed. A young boy watched the man’s pathetic efforts and laughed. The man said, “If you can catch me a monkey I’ll give you $2.” (That …
COMMENTARY 775.2: Getting Started
Chris’s parents were proud of him when he graduated from college. But it’s been six months and he hasn’t gotten a job yet. In fact, he hasn’t looked seriously. He has no idea what he wants to do and he’s thinking of grad school. He’s living at home with his parents and things are getting tense, especially with his father, …