Wooden Wins! - Condition
Our Pyramid of Success focus this month is on Condition. At American Heritage Charter Schools, we celebrate the core value of "Hard Work".

Why Conditioning Isn't Just for Your Body
by Craig Impelman

Coach Wooden was deliberate about the placement of the blocks on his Pyramid of Success, and placed at the center three traits he believed formed the core of his philosophy: “One of the most important organs in our body is the heart. Three outstanding essentials—condition, skill and team spirit—comprise the heart of the Pyramid. All are of equal importance.”

Coach emphasized that this tier does not apply only to athletics; these qualities are required for any individual or team to be successful. “Ability may get you to the top,” he liked to say, “but it takes character to stay there.” It was condition Coach referred to as the “character block of the Pyramid.”

As defined by Coach, condition consisted of several parts: “Mental, moral, physical. Rest, exercise and diet must be considered. Moderation must be practiced. Dissipation must be eliminated.”

Because he had worked so long with basketball teams, Coach knew that most people would automatically assume that his interest in condition was strictly physical. “That is true,” Coach explained, “but only to a degree. For how can you attain and maintain desirable physical condition without moral conditioning and mental conditioning? There is no way and you cannot have moral conditioning without spiritual conditioning. You must have spiritual, mental and moral condition to come close to achieving the type of physical conditioning that we want.”

Each fall, before the start of the basketball season, Coach would meet with prospective candidates for the team. He stressed to them the importance of being the best-conditioned team possible, warning them: “Your responsibility begins when practice ends until you come back for the next practice because you can tear down between practices more than we can build up during practice. You can do this by a lack of moderation, by dissipation and by immoral conduct. So you have a responsibility, too. Each of us must live up to our responsibilities if we are going to be as close as possible to the type of condition to which we aspire.”

In Coach’s eyes, a failure to address spiritual, moral and mental conditioning will leave even the best physical or professional conditioning limited. He felt it was essential to identify the training demands required by the job in order to attain proper conditioning.

The following are the training demands Coach identified for his players.

No use of alcoholic beverages of any kind.
No smoking.
No use of profanity.
Be a gentleman in all ways at all times.
Be on time whenever time is involved.

Clearly, Coach Wooden’s training demands went far beyond just physical requirements. Coach did not believe moral conditioning required a long list of rules. His suggestion was simply to “practice moderation and balance in all that you do.”

Coach once commented that many believed that his players were simply in better physical condition than their opponents. Coach added, “They may have been, but they also had tremendous mental and emotional conditioning.”

Every profession requires unique and specific conditioning.

Whether you are a surgeon, lawyer, salesperson, teacher, construction worker, journalist or deep-sea diver, your profession requires a specific type of conditioning. Whatever specific conditioning your job requires must be preceded by spiritual, mental and moral conditioning if you are to reach your potential. Try to identify what the specific training demands are needed for your own life and career, and commit yourself to following that regimen.

Whether you are currently a coach or team member, you have responsibility. As we climb Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success, we should all be aspiring toward optimal conditioning for whatever our pursuit in life might be.

Key Idea: “Mental, moral, physical. Rest, exercise and diet must be considered. Moderation must be practiced. Dissipation must be eliminated.” - John Wooden
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@Home 

Moderation is important in order to create balance in life. It is easy to run from one activity to another without much margin.  Often we are grabbing quick, unhealthy meals on our way to the next thing and sacrificing sleep in order to get more done. 

What can you do as a family to practice moderation this month? Write down a plan for adding healthy eating, exercise and adequate rest into your family routine. Nutrition, exercise and rest absolutely have an effect on attitudes and performance. This last month of school let’s work to finish strong!

 

On Campus

Conditioning our bodies, emotions, and mind is of great importance for achieving overall well-being and a balanced life. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can improve physical health and lead to increased energy levels, improved sleep, and reduced risk of chronic diseases. Emotions can be managed through practices like mindfulness and meditation, which can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and promote emotional regulation. Conditioning the mind through activities such as reading, learning, and problem-solving can help to increase cognitive function, creativity, and mental resilience. As the Greek philosopher Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

Reflection Questions:

1. What are some practical ways you can incorporate physical conditioning into your daily routine?
2. How can emotional conditioning positively impact your relationships and daily interactions with others?

 

In the Class

On the Field