LutherRackleyRulez
10-14-2009, 10:53 AM
2'day --- 10/14/09....
is John Wooden's 99th birthday.
It's apropos that "The Wizard of Westwood" birthday lands on the eve
of the 1st official day of College B'ball practice every year....amazing!!!
I was told that he spent a majority of his 1st practice each season
dealing with the appropriate way to lace/tie your shoes.
Here's his take on the subject...
Absolutely. I picked that up when I was teaching in high school. We had a lot of blisters, and I found out that a lot of the players didn't smooth out all the wrinkles around their heels and around their little toes, places where the blisters are apt to occur. Then I found out that they didn't lace their shoes properly and oftentimes they wore shoes that were a size too large.
Wooden went so far as to instruct his players on the proper ways to put on their socks and shoes.
With all the quick-stop turning, changes of direction, changes of pace on a hard floor you have in basketball, this would cause blisters. So, I thought it was very important that I'd check their shoe size and how they put their socks on. I hoped they would take a few extra seconds to smooth out the wrinkles around the heel and the toes and hold the sock up while they put their shoe on. I think it was important. And I know from the time I started in high school that we greatly reduced the number of blisters that we'd have, so I continued that throughout my coaching. I know a number of players laughed about it. They probably still laugh about it now. But I stuck to it. I think to some degree it helped team unity. I believed in that and I insisted on it.
JW's 3 golden rules for all his players...
#1. Be on time!
#2. No profanity
#3. No criticizing of your fellow players
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN!!!
http://espn.go.com/page2/s/questions/wooden.html
btw.....
here's a question for all XU B'ball historians....
did John Wooden ever play (Purdue)
or coach against XU?????
is John Wooden's 99th birthday.
It's apropos that "The Wizard of Westwood" birthday lands on the eve
of the 1st official day of College B'ball practice every year....amazing!!!
I was told that he spent a majority of his 1st practice each season
dealing with the appropriate way to lace/tie your shoes.
Here's his take on the subject...
Absolutely. I picked that up when I was teaching in high school. We had a lot of blisters, and I found out that a lot of the players didn't smooth out all the wrinkles around their heels and around their little toes, places where the blisters are apt to occur. Then I found out that they didn't lace their shoes properly and oftentimes they wore shoes that were a size too large.
Wooden went so far as to instruct his players on the proper ways to put on their socks and shoes.
With all the quick-stop turning, changes of direction, changes of pace on a hard floor you have in basketball, this would cause blisters. So, I thought it was very important that I'd check their shoe size and how they put their socks on. I hoped they would take a few extra seconds to smooth out the wrinkles around the heel and the toes and hold the sock up while they put their shoe on. I think it was important. And I know from the time I started in high school that we greatly reduced the number of blisters that we'd have, so I continued that throughout my coaching. I know a number of players laughed about it. They probably still laugh about it now. But I stuck to it. I think to some degree it helped team unity. I believed in that and I insisted on it.
JW's 3 golden rules for all his players...
#1. Be on time!
#2. No profanity
#3. No criticizing of your fellow players
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN!!!
http://espn.go.com/page2/s/questions/wooden.html
btw.....
here's a question for all XU B'ball historians....
did John Wooden ever play (Purdue)
or coach against XU?????