Unity

There is a new position on our Washington State NAWGJ Board. Denise Green will be in charge of helping to unify our state - judges and coaches. Information will be added to this page in the near future.

Part of our NAWGJ WA Mission Statement concerns this Unity: A triangle of success in which judges, coaches and gymnasts all work together for the betterment of Washington State Gymnastics.

Below are some quotes from the great basketball coach John Wooden.

Wooden's Words printed in Bellingham Herald 6/06/10

"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."

"What you are as a person is far more important than what you are a basketball player."

"If you're not making mistakes then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes."

"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be."

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen."

"Be more concerned with character than your reputation, because your character is what your really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

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Wooden's Words summarized by Aaron Weintraub excerpts from an e-mail to Mark McKenzie

He said that the two greatest words in the English language are "love and balance."

About love, Wooden said "True love is enduring." "If everyone had love as much as they should have, the world wouldn't have nearly the problems that it has." Then he shares one of his many favorite poems:

A bell isn't a bell until you ring it.

A song isn't a song until you sing it.

And the love in your heart

Wasn't put there to stay,

Love isn't love

Until you give it away.

"Balance is everything." Wooden said, referring to performances both on and off the basketball court. For example, "be quick, but don't hurry." Here are more details of what he meant, in his words (speaking to athletes and coaches):

"You have to have emotional balance. You have to have physical balance. You have to have mental balance. As coach I had to teach players individual balance, and then the balance of losing themselves in the group for the greater good of the team.

Balance means keeping things in proper perspective, not permitting either excessive exuberance or dejection to interfere with preparation, performance, or subsequent individual or team behavior.

Balance is important in many aspects of basketball. Besides physical, emotional, and mental balance, we need squad balance, rebounding balance, offensive balance, defensive balance, size balance. Balance. Balance. Balance.

The same thing is true in life. We must have physical, emotional, and mental balance; balance between making a living and making a home. We must keep things in perspective, both the good and the bad.

And we must listen to achieve that balance. Listen and observe at home and work. Balance the work against the play.

Achieving balance in life (or basketball) requires great, great effort, desire, and alertness. Life is complicated, and it's easy to get things totally out of balance. That's when you have a problem