Respect Can Win Championships

Here is a great article on RESPECT from Swen Nater, former UCLA and NBA star and disciple of John Wooden – ENJOY!

Respect Can Win Championships

Swen Nater

What inspired UCLA players to be champions? What was the motivation behind the relentless industriousness and eager personal sacrifice? Was it the want to be merely a fraction of a championship team? Was it the desire of devotion, fueled by a love for one another? No doubt, both are good reasons and most of us began our UCLA careers, motivated by something to that effect. But neither was the main reason why we gloried with joy when fatigue pulled our tongues to Pauley Pavilion’s hardwood floor. Neither was enough to convince a high school All-America scoring champ to eagerly settle for only ten points per game, less than half of what he was capable of scoring.

We played primarily for our leader and teacher, John Wooden. We played for him because he worked harder than we did. We played for him because we knew he had completely prepared us to win.  We played for him because we knew, once prepared, the responsibility was on us and we didn’t want to let him down. We played for him because he trusted us to do what he taught us to do. We played for him because he proved his love for us. We played for him because he demonstrated, with his own life, how to be champions. All of that adds up to “respect.” We respected Coach Wooden. That respect left us no choice but to go through a brick wall for him if necessary.

How did Coach Wooden get our respect? There are at least five ways.

1. Fairness
1. He gave reasons why different responsibilities were dispensed.
2. He provided a method for moving up.  
3. He gave each player the treatment he earned and deserved.
4. He didn’t make promises he couldn’t keep.

The most unfair thing to do is to treat everyone the same.

John Wooden

2. Respect
1. He treated us as adults.
2. He had high expectations for every one of us.
3. He trusted us.
4. He let us know how we were doing.

A supervisor gets results through people. Training Within Industry

3. Leadership
1. He made sure we knew he was the boss.
2. Communicated that the welfare of the team took priority over the interest of an individual.
3. Roles confined and defined.
4. No player was indispensible. 
5. He welcomed our opinions and took them seriously.
6. He made the decisions.

“Bill, if you don’t have the right haircut when you come back from the barbershop, we’re going to miss you this year.” Coach to Bill Walton.

4. Integrity
1. He lived beyond reproach.
2. He had integrity.
3. He was honest.
4. He gave credit where and when credit was due. 

The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.

John Wooden

5. Consistency
1. He did all of the above, every day and all day.

Many coaches have deep subject knowledge, are master instructors, are very organized, and have systems that are sound and work. Yet some of them wonder why their teams produce far less than expected. They may be missing one important ingredient: the respect of their players. When players respect their coach, they are more likely to do what the coach asks. Coaches who earn the respect of their players, will soon see improved production. At UCLA, it produced championships.  

One of our NCAA championships was won against a team that recruited me out of community college. I chose that school as one of my final five options and they flew me in to sell me on their program. The coach paid for three of his players to take me to an X-rated movie (I walked out). Do you think he had the respect of his players?

With just a few minutes to go in the game, we put on the pressure and they folded. The UCLA fans were beside themselves. The boosters boasted with pride. My fellow players were giving fives to each other (low fives because the high five had not been invented). Then I looked over at Coach. He was smiling. That meant more than fans, boosters, or players. We did it for him because he earned our respect. 

UCLA was also one of my recruiting visits. Coach didn’t pay for his players to take me to a movie but, if he had, it would have been “Bambi.”

Respect a man and he will do all the more. John Wooden