Coach Wooden Lives On

 

After you leave this earth, you will live on in the people you affect. The more of an influence you had, the more of an affect there will be.

 

For those who spent time with Coach Wooden, and many of you have, you know this to be true. You will be doing a task and suddenly you hear, “Be quick but don’t hurry.” You make a mistake and you hear, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that doers make mistakes.” Life takes you on a road you didn’t expect to be on and you hear, “Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.” You are tempted to berate a student and Coach reminds you, “A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”

 

And if you are one of his basketball players, you will have seen all of that, and much more, in action, day in and day out. In this way, Coach Wooden lives on.

 

With that in mind, I wrote this poem to Coach Wooden shortly after he passed away. For those who don’t know, Nellie was Coach’s wife.

 

 

Now That You’re Home with Your Nellie

Swen Nater

 

Now that you’re home with your Nellie,

In peace and sweet bliss up above,

Your precepts still teach,

And your axioms preach,

Of a decency, wisdom, and love.

 

Now that you’re home with your Nellie,

You’re still teaching us fathers and mothers.

Your words, they still ring,

And your truths, they still sing,

Of a life that’s best lived for others.

 

Now that you’re home with your Nellie,

And I mourn with a joy and a tear,

Through your teachings, I’ll try,

Till we meet in the sky,

To become a John Wooden down here.

 

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