Thursday, March 8, 2012

Coach Wooden

If you like sports and want to see a down-to-earth example of how a dad can influence his son, you may enjoy Coach Wooden by Pat Williams. It’s free on Kindle today only.

At first glance, the book does not look expressly evangelical. It belongs more in the category of wisdom. Like in Proverbs, a father is training up his son, pointing him in the right direction, warning him of danger, and leading by example. The book description says, ‘Through powerful stories and advice, this book shares the wisdom that made Wooden happy and successful, not just in his career but in life.’

Wooden's seven life principles include:
  1. Be true to yourself
  2. Help others
  3. Make friendship a fine art
  4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible
  5. Make each day your masterpiece
  6. Build a shelter against a rainy day by the life you live
  7. Give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day

We should be cautious of self-help language like ‘believing in yourself’ and ‘achieving your dreams.’ But we can still rejoice when a good story elevates fatherhood and spiritual disciplines like reading, love, serving, and prayer. John Wooden is one of the most respected coaches in the history of basketball, and there is something we can all learn from his life.

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