Page 109 - How to Create a Winning Organization

Use the Most Powerful Four-Letter Word
when I was at Indiana State. When the Indiana State Sycamores 91
were supposed to fly to New York for a game at Madison
Square Garden, I told Coach, “There’s no way I’m getting on
a plane. You can go without me, but I’m not flying.”
Coach refused to leave me behind—got station wagons
and we drove out to New York. It was family; nobody got left
behind.
In 1947 we got invited to a big national tournament. One
problem: They prohibited blacks from playing. One of our
teammates, Clarence Walker, was black. Coach Wooden
turned down the invitation. He wouldn’t leave Clarence
behind.
It happened again the next year. We got the same invita-
tion. Again, Coach turned it down. This time the tournament
backed off. They changed the rules. Only after that would
Coach accept the invitation. The Sycamores got to the finals
before losing to Louisville.
Our whole team went; everybody played, including
Clarence. You don’t leave somebody in the family behind. At
least, Coach Wooden didn’t. His concern for us went way be-
yond basketball. We were part of a family.