Wooden Wins! - Intentness
Our Pyramid of Success focus this month will be on Intentness. At American Heritage Charter Schools, we celebrate the core value of “Leading with Courage”.

How to Live Your Life with Intentness By Craig Impelman
The fourth block in the second tier of Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success is Intentness.

Although not a word we generally encounter in everyday conversation, intentness is a concept that Coach Wooden felt was an essential part of personal success. He chose to direct his definition of intentness at the individual by urging him or her to: “Set a realistic goal. Concentrate on its achievement by resisting all temptations and being determined and persistent.”

Coach once summarized this concept as “patience with action”: having the determination, stamina and resolve to stay the course when things aren’t going well. Armed with persistence and realistic goals, a person embodies intentness by the manner in which he or she pursues each ambition.

Unlike some motivators who tout the idea that goals should be astronomically high, Coach took a far more practical perspective. “There is a tendency at times to set goals that are so idealistic that they are unattainable and thus become counterproductive,” he once said. “I think goals should be difficult to achieve because things easily achieved or attained usually aren’t meaningful, don’t last too long or are not truly worthwhile. So goals should be difficult but in the realm of possibility.”

Intentness is the thing that keeps a person reaching for the next achievement, to make each possibility a reality. Coach added this thought about striving toward goals: “Realizing that the road to their achievement could be difficult and certain adversity may force you to change the method of attack. You may have to go around, under, over, back up, look the situation over. Try a different method. But you must not quit. Be intent, persistent and determined to reach your realistic objective.”

In 1959, Coach Wooden had the worst season of his UCLA career, winning 14 games and losing 12. Coach liked to say, “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.” He was determined not to hang up his hat. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and set about trying to determine what he needed to change about his approach to coaching.

Four years later, in 1963, UCLA lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Wooden had been coaching at UCLA for 15 years and made it to the NCAA tournament five times while posting a tournament record of three wins and nine losses—the worst record of any of the coaches who participated in the tournament that year.

But again, he attacked the next season with deliberate intentness, determined to make improvements to his coaching techniques and setting a goal of improving his team’s final standing. In 1964, Coach Wooden won his first national championship. He would go on to win an unprecedented 10 national championships in his last 12 years of coaching at UCLA, and in 2009, he was voted by Sporting News as the greatest coach in the history of American athletics.

It was a journey that displayed the ultimate intentness. The point is further illustrated by one of Coach Wooden’s favorite handouts to share with people struggling to grasp intentness:

1831: Failed in business
1832: Defeated for the legislature
1833: Again failed in business
1834: Elected to the legislature
1835: Sweetheart died
1836: Had a nervous breakdown
1838: Defeated for Speaker
1840: Defeated for Elector
1843: Defeated for Congress
1846: Elected to Congress
1848: Defeated for Congress
1855: Defeated for Senate
1856: Defeated for Vice President
1860: Elected President
This is a brief summary of the life and trials of Abraham Lincoln.

Without intentness, the other qualities in the second tier of the Pyramid are meaningless. It is intentness that gives us the stamina and determination to execute the other traits properly over the long haul in the face of adversity.

Key Idea: Stay the Course. When thwarted try again, harder, smarter. Persevere relentlessly.

@Home
Activity: Discuss together the following quote by John Wooden. 

 “The road to real achievement takes time, a long time, but you do not give up. You may have setbacks. You may have to start over. You may have to change your method. You may have to go around, or over, or under. You may have to back up and get another start. But you do not quit. You stay the course. To do that, you must have intentness.” 

Family Response: The word intent comes from the latin word meaning to strain or stretch. What challenges or circumstances are your children facing that will require a strain or stretch to complete? Work together this month to focus and finish difficult tasks. Be sure to celebrate growth and progress on this journey. Good things take time!

On Campus
Intentness is the key to achieving your goals and realizing your dreams. It requires strong focus, determination, and the willingness to push through challenges and obstacles. Those who have intentness understand that success is not always easy, but it is attainable through hard work and dedication. They view setbacks and failures as opportunities for growth and learning, and they never give up on their dreams. Ask yourself, what goals do I want to achieve, and how can I cultivate more intent in my life to make them a reality? When faced with challenges, reflect on what you can learn from them and how you can use that knowledge to become even more determined in pursuing your goals.

In the Class
Activity:  Watch this video  or this video  with your students and discuss why we celebrate Veteran's Day.
Class Response: Be intential this month.  Thank a veteran or current military personnel for his/her service by hand writing a Thank You note, sending an email or text, or making a personal visit to recognize the contributions they have made or are currently making for the safety of our nation.

On the Field
Activity: Watch these clips as a team
Attitude Reflects Leadership 
Strong Side
Team Response: Host Leadership Meetings so that your team can learn how to be intentional leaders on and off the field. Play Call Lesson Plan

Resources:
https://www.success.com/how-to-live-your-life-with-intentness/