Wooden & Me: Life Lessons from My Two-Decade Friendship with the Legendary Coach and Humanitarian to Help "Make Each Day Your Masterpiece"

by Woody Woodburn

As a longtime newspaper columnist Woody Woodburn is often asked to speak to civic groups – and the person audiences invariably want to hear more about during the Q&A afterward is Coach John Wooden. Listeners at these talks, as well as readers of Woodburn’s national award-winning columns, over the years have encouraged him to write a book about his experiences with Coach. Now he has with the memoir WOODEN & Life Lessons from My Two-Decade Friendship with the Legendary Coach and Humanitarian to Help “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece.” It was in 1987 as a young sports writer and near-newlywed that Woody met Coach, who soon became a friend and mentor through the births of Woodburn’s two children and their growth into young adulthood; the death of Woody’s mother; career decisions; and more. As he writes in this “One did not have to play for Coach Wooden in order to be one of his students, and of this I am a privileged example. I was not one of his basketball players – except for one glorious week at his youth camp in 1975 – but make no mistake, I was his pupil. No coach or teacher or professor has taught me more, or taught me more important things.” Just as Coach John Wooden was beloved and revered by people of all ages and all backgrounds, readers from teens to parents to grandparents, basketball fans and non-fans alike, will find WOODEN & ME enlightening and inspiring. Coach not only passed on priceless life lessons to Woodburn, but also to Woody’s daughter Dallas (now 26) and her younger brother Greg (23), who were fortunate to meet Coach and are featured throughout the book from their young childhood to the present day. Dallas’ Masters degree in Creative Writing at Purdue University (coincidentally Wooden’s alma mater) and recent 2013-14 John Steinbeck Fellowship selection, and Greg’s Pac-12 Leadership Award (from the athletic conference Wooden famously coached in) and Rhodes Scholar Finalist honors attest to the continued relevance and impact of Coach’s teachings. In closing, here is Woodburn’s dedication on the opening page of WOODEN & For Coach – “The journey is better than the inn” you often reminded me, and in my life journey I feel extremely thankful and blessed to have had you walking ahead of me as a role model; walking beside me as a teacher, mentor and friend; and now walking behind me in spirit as a source of continued inspiration to myself – as well as to my daughter Dallas, son Greg, and wife Lisa – for pursuing true “success.” Too, I am forever grateful for your frequent reminder and constant shining example that “love” is the most important word in the English language. Now, through the pages of WOODEN & ME, you too can join in on an inspiring journey with Coach John Wooden.

252 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2013

About the author

Woody Woodburn was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1960; spent his adolescence in the ’70s on the sweet-and-salty-aired coast of Southern California, and graduated from UC Santa Barbara; and for the past four decades has been a national award-winning newspaper columnist—sports originally and general interest for the past fifteen years.

Now writing for The Ventura County Star, his honors include Columnist of the Year by the Associated Press News Executive Council, Copley News Service, and E. W. Scripps Newspapers; and induction into The Jim Murray Memorial Foundation’s Journalists Hall of Fame and Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame as a journalist.

Woody’s work has also appeared in The Best American Sports Writing anthology and more than a dozen Chicken Soup For The Soul titles, and he is the author of the novel The Butterfly Tree: An Extraordinary Saga of Seven Generations and two nonfiction books—the memoir Wooden & Me: Life Lessons from My Two-Decade Friendship with the Legendary Coach and Humanitarian to Help “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece” and Strawberries in Wintertime: Essays on Life, Love, and Laughter.

When he is not tapping away on a QWERTY keyboard, Woody can be found padding the pavement, park grass or local beaches as a “Streaker” who has run a minimum of three miles (and averaged 11.4 miles) every day without fail since July 7, 2003, for one of the longest officially recognized running streaks in the world.

“Woody’s Holiday Ball Drive” has enjoyed an even longer streak while donating nearly one million dollars of new sports balls to underprivileged youth.

Longer still, Woody has a marriage streak of forty-one years with his college sweetheart Lisa.

Reviews

[Olive Mazerolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Make each day your masterpiece" - John Wooden
Woody Woodburn has done it again for me. This book is as awe-inspiring as Mitch Album's Tuesdays with Morrie. If you need a boost of motivation, this book will do the trick. Woodburn's openness and honesty about his life choices, many of which are based on Wooden's advice, are very insightful. I loved how Woodburn spoke of his wife and children and their successes. I admire this family for being so generous and giving to their communities and to the literary world.

And Wooden's inspirational quotes fit any walk of life, not just sports.
"Don't let making a living prevent you from making a life." - John Wooden
I have used this quote for years, even having plastered it to my work wall, and I never knew where it came from. Thank you, Woody Woodburn. Now I know.

[Sue Broadston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teacher or Coach

I’m officially a teacher. But eight years of coaching made me more of a coach that a teacher. the coach is on the sidelines with the players, not in front of a class John wooden surely was the ultimate coach caring for and loving his players. This book was inspiring to read, but I found it repetitive and overly centered on the author’s life.

[Dallas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring, heartwarming book that brings to life legendary basketball coach John Wooden and will inspire readers to "make each day a masterpiece"!

[Sarah K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how well written and well researched this book was. As a librarian, quality is SO important to me, and sometimes with memoirs the research aspect can take a backseat because the author knows the person/subject so well. Not so with Woody Woodburn. You can tell he's a good author from the beginning, and it shows.
I loved how passionate the author was about not only writing about his and his family's friendship with Coach Wooden but also about teaching his readers about Coach Wooden's philosophies. This makes the book very encouraging and motivating.
For me, probably the most challenging thing about reading memoirs [and even blogs too] is that it can feel somewhat intrusive to get that much into someone's life--especially someone you don't even know! I feel like the author has found a good balance between being open about his life and family, without being too revealing.
On the flip side of that, part of what makes memoirs and blogs so enjoyable is the opportunity to connect with the author. Though I've never been a UCLA basketball fan or even truthfully a fan of John Wooden, I did feel a certain attachment to him because he's a Purdue grad. I loved learning more about him and his commitment to education and teamwork, things that are missing on some college sports teams these days. It's so inspiring to consider his legacy too!
This is a quick read, but it's also a book to savor over and enjoy bit by bit because of the wisdom imparted here. Thank you so much to Dallas and Woody for thinking of me and allowing me to review such a great book.



Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks for the chance to read this great book!

[Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Strong insights into the powerful convictions and faith that drove the great John Wooden. Great anecdotes, good messages, and good writing. It is one I'm sure I'll read again and again. Thanks for this one Kristi!