The building blocks of Wooden’s Pyramid of Success

Industriousness
There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile results come from hard work and careful planning.

Loyalty
To yourself and to all those depending upon you. Keep your self-respect.

Alertness
Be observing constantly. Stay open-minded. Be eager to learn and improve.

Initiative
Cultivate the ability to make decisions and think alone. Do not be afraid of failure, but learn from it.

Enthusiasm
Brushes off upon those with whom you come in contact. You must truly enjoy what you are doing.

Self-Control
Practice self-discipline and keep emotions under control. Good judgment and common sense are essential.

Friendship
Comes from mutual esteem, respect and devotion. Like marriage, it must not be taken for granted but requires joint effort.

Cooperation
With all levels of your co-workers. Listen if you want to be heard. Be interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way.

Intentness
Set a realistic goal. Concentrate on its achievement by resisting all temptations and being determined and persistent.

Confidence
Respect without fear. May come from being prepared and keeping all things in proper perspective.

Skill
A knowledge of and the ability to properly and quickly execute the fundamentals. Be prepared and cover every little detail.

Team-Spirit
A genuine consideration for others. An eagerness to sacrifice personal interests of glory for the welfare of all.

Poise
Just being yourself. Being at ease in any situation. Never fighting yourself.

Condition
Mental-Moral-Physical. Rest, exercise and diet must be considered. Moderation must be practiced. Dissipation must be eliminated.

Competitive Greatness
Be at your best when your best is needed. Enjoyment of a difficult challenge.

The accomplishments of your players on the basketball floor only represent half the battle. Part of a coach’s job is to help players develop character and prepare them for adult life. Here is a list of 10 expectations that you can give each of your players that will hopefully help them prepare for everyday life on and off the court. 

1. Take an active role in your classes. Sit up front in the classroom and participate in your education. Your academic priorities should be paramount for you, your parents, and all your coaches. We build our basketball program around individuals that want to be successful in the classroom. 

2. Develop people skills. Communicate, communicate, and communicate! Always be positive and encourage others. Our team has one of the most vocal and supportive benches of anyone we play—and it makes a difference. If you have a problem or a conflict, please talk to someone about it. Players that are able to communicate with coaches and teammates play an important role on this team. 

3. Team chemistry, unity are vital to success. If you are part of our team, you will have a role. Our team shares the ball on offense and we are equally unselfish on defense. Check your ego at the door. 
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4. Set goals and work to achieve them. Goal setting is a life-long necessity. Individual and team goals are a major part of our basketball program. Focus on being the best. ​

​5. Success is not a part-time job! Continuously work at your game and physically conditioning. Never take your position for granted. Improve your skills to help the team improve. Be dedicated and loyal—to yourself, your coaches and your teammates. 

6. Strive to learn. Never pass up an opportunity to learn. When you quit learning, you’ve quit! Pick the brain of your teammates. Ask questions. Watch basketball games on TV, watch your teammates play, watch game tape and learn from all of these experiences. 

7. Keep the competitive fires burning. Never back down from a challenge! Compete in the classroom, with your opponents and with—not against—your teammates. Even more importantly, compete with yourself. You may not win every time, but you can be successful if you compete and aggressively go after each challenge. 

8. Absolutely no trash talking! Let the final score do your talking. Also, understand that player’s play and officials officiate. Make sure your team is looked upon as a first-class team. 

9. Develop friendships. Whether you play basketball 1 year or 4 years, you’ll make lifetime friends. If you want to have more friends, be better friends to more people. 

10. Develop balance in your life. Basketball will only be a small segment of your total development as an individual. Get involved in other activities such as student government, campus ministry, clubs or many other opportunities in school and in the community. 
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For questions or comments, contact Coach Mike Durbin at [email protected].