Looking at March Madness through the eyes of John Wooden

John Wooden would what others wouldn’t.
Truth be told, the others couldn’t

match his record through the years
earned by practice, sweat and tears.

Competition, he’d attest,
fuels the best to stand the test.

That’s the reason Coach kept on.
Hope for him was never gone.

Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton
learned the lessons Coach had taught ’em.

Like the fact that discipline
means far more than just a win.

Or the truth that self control
makes a gifted player whole.

There were poems he’d recite
that were fun but never trite.

Faith in Christ, Coach boldly claimed,
shaped the way he coached each game.

Shaped the way he’d build guys up
when they drank from failure’s cup.

Shaped the way he helped them see
teamwork leads to victory.

That is why he loves March Madness
with its joy and with its sadness.

And at nearly ninety-six,
Coach still needs his yearly fix.

Waiting for what lies in store,
he will watch the Final Four