Issue 714 - "2025: Cooperation: Strong Starts, Strong Finishes" (Part 2: Stong Finishes)


Wooden's Wisdom - Volume 13	Issue 714
Craig Impelman Speaking \| Championship Coaches \| Champion's Leadership Library Login
"2025: COOPERATION: STRONG STARTS, STRONG FINISHES" (Part 2: STRONG FINISHES) John Wooden Video Clip (2 min. 16 sec.): Coach Wooden is asked: "Were your high standards ever challenged by your players?" At UCLA under Coach John Wooden practice ended at 5:30 p.m. sharp. It ended on time—regardless of how well or how poorly practice had gone. The exceptions were if practice wasn’t going well, Coach on rare occasions would end early and later in the season when practices were shorter by design. If a drill didn’t go well, it didn’t go longer. Every drill had a planned time. If the team didn’t execute it well, Coach didn’t stretch it out. He’d make a note on his 3x5 practice card to adjust it next time. No lectures. No dragging. Just move forward. After practice, there was a window of time for players to get to the training table. No set arrival time—but they were expected to be there. Some players went straight to the showers. Others stayed on the court for extra free throws or to work on something that bothered them during practice. That post-practice window gave players space to reflect or reset in their own way. It wasn’t managed. When a player was done showering, he would gather up his gear—shorts, top, towel, socks—and roll it up neatly. He’d head to the equipment room, where a manager was stationed and politely turned his gear in. The manager would inspect the roll to make sure everything was returned properly—and then hand the player an orange slice. The locker room was left clean every day by the players themselves. Coach Wooden himself spot checked. The training table wasn’t glamorous. Players walked through the back of the kitchen to get their food. They all had the same limited choices. There were no assigned seats. Players sat where they wanted. The coaches sat together. At organized pre-game meals the coaches were not served until every player had been served first. Once players were done eating, they could leave. That was the finish of the day every day. What Makes That a Strong Finish? No chaos. No coaching-by-emotion. No one dragged out the end of the day to make a point. No one coasted off a good practice and lost focus. Everyone knew the job wasn’t just to practice—it was to practice well, finish well, and come back tomorrow grounded and ready. In 2025, this model is more relevant than ever. Today’s workplace is sometimes a blur of open tabs, unfinished meetings, unresolved feedback, and digital tension that follows people home. Leaders sometimes think the finish doesn’t matter as much as the start. But if people don’t leave clear, respected, and emotionally intact, they may not come back engaged. What Can Leaders Learn from Coach Wooden’s Finishes? End on time. People don’t trust leaders who steal their time. Stick to the plan. If something doesn’t go well, don’t try to “fix it” on the fly. Adjust tomorrow. Build in space. Give people a little time after intense work to reset—on their terms. Have a close-out ritual. It doesn’t have to be flashy. It just needs to be consistent. Don’t over-orchestrate everything. Players weren’t told how to sit, who to talk to, or how to leave the training table. Some things just need to breathe. Coach Wooden’s teams cooperated in part because the entire system was designed with clarity, respect, and consistency. How do you finish? Click here for personal development exercise: Issue 714. Click here for Printable Poetry: Issue 714. Yours in Coaching, Craig Impelman www.woodenswisdom.com Follow @woodenswisdom	COACH'S FAVORITE POETRY AND PROSE A Friend A friend is one who stands to share Your every touch of grief and care. He comes by chance, but stays by choice; Your praises he is quick to voice. No grievous fault or passing whim Can make an enemy of him. And though your need be great or small, His strength is yours throughout it all. No matter where your path may turn Your welfare is his chief concern. No matter what your dream may be He prays your triumph soon to see. There is no wish your tongue can tell But what it is your friend's as well. The life of him who has a friend Is double-guarded to the end. Edgar Albert Guest (1881-1959)
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