Why Did Coach Wooden's Practices Always End on Time?

Why Did Coach Wooden's Practices Always End on Time?

In my three years there, practice always started on time (to the minute) and ended on time, not one second later. Why? So may coaches start about 3:00 and end somewhere around 5:30, usually later. Why was Coach Wooden that exact? Why did he never go overtime?

1. Integrity and Respect: When practice is from three to five, for example, the coach is giving the players his word, practice will be over at five. Then, at five o'clock, he decides, for some reason, to scrimmage just ten minutes longer, usually because the players didn't get it or things are going so well, let's keep this thing going. After all, the players are doing so great, they will want to keep playing. Not so. When you give your word, you need to keep it, every time, no matter how tempting.

If you don't you will never get full respect.  

2. Conditioning to Play Hard at the End of a Game: When the players are not sure if practice will end at five, and they are scrimmaging during the last thirty minutes of practice, they will not play their hardest because they are reserving energy that they need after five. But when the players know practice will end at five, they will give it their all. This will condition them for the game where, at the end, they need to be at their best and give their all.