Cover of They Call Me Coach
“If I were ever prosecuted for my religion, I truly hope there would be enough evidence to convict me.”1
John Wooden the famed basketball coach of the UCLA Bruins is the one that spoke this challenging quote. Not only did Mr. Wooden hold an unrivaled array of coaching accomplishments including winning ten NCAA championships in a twelve-year period (seven of the ten wins came in a row), but he was also a devout Christian. He said, “I have always tried to make it clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior.”2
One of his better-known quotes was: “Make every day your masterpiece.” Those five words should be on the lips and in the actions of every Christian. Jesus deserves it, our loved ones deserve it, and the world around us that so desperately needs to experience Christ’s love needs it.
If we followed Coach Wooden’s advice we wouldn’t just string together a bunch of well-lived days we would craft a well-lived life. We would discover that when today is lived well it changes tomorrow.
I hope we’re doing more than stacking up mediocre days like a cord of firewood in Alaska. I hope we’re living days that will truly change tomorrow for generations to come!