"Stuff" It

The famous John Wooden addressed his players.

"He looked at us for a moment and began his remarks. And that's what was shocking. 'Gentlemen,' he said, 'Welcome. Let's get down to business. I want to remind each one of you of a few important rules we have here at UCLA. 1. Keep your fingernails trimmed. 2. Keep your hair short. 3. Keep your jersey tucked in.' He looked around the room for a moment and then added solemnly, 'Am I clear?' I wondered, 'Is he making a joke?' But there was no laughter, not even smiles, from any of the varsity players. They knew better. Nevertheless, I couldn't understand why he was wasting his time on stuff like that.

As the months - eventually years (and three more national championships) - went by, I came to recognize that 'stuff like that' was part of the genius of his leadership. There was logic to every move. Details of fingernails, hair and jerseys led to details for running plays, handling the ball, and everything else - hundreds of small things done right." -- Lynn Shackleford, former player