WOODEN HEADLINES 2002 DON MEYER COACHING ACADEMY

June 6, 2002

Wooden and Meyer during the press conference Thursday.

ABERDEEN, S.D. - A crowd of nearly 1,000 people enjoyed what for most was a once-in-a-lifetime experience Thursday night in the Johnson Fine Arts Center on the campus of Northern State University.

Legendary coach and teacher John Wooden gave the keynote address to the 2002 Don Meyer Coaching Academy, talking about life lessons through his pyramid of success. (www.coachwooden.com).

Coaches from Aberdeen to all over the United States and even as far as Sweden have come up for this year's academy, which not only has Wooden kicking it off, but former Wisconsin coach and the ultimate coach's coach Dick Bennett as the featured clinician.

Wooden during his keynote address Thursday at NSU's Johnson Fine Arts Center.

In a press conference before the address, Wooden explained why he chose to speak at Coach Meyer's academy. At 91 years of age, he will only speak at four other basketball camps this year, and those will be one-day engagements at camps run by a grandson-in-law.

"I'm here because of Don," Wooden said. "I met him several years ago and think very highly of him. He wanted me to come and I was anxious to. I'm happy that it worked out so I could come."

Meyer's respect for Wooden goes far beyond his legendary status as a coach.

"A lot of us when we stick our hand in a bucket of water and pull it out, that's just how much we'll be missed. But with Coach, I don't think it's that way because he's always been more than a coach. He will transcend time. Not because of his coaching records, but because of the way he did it and the philosophy that he's lived."

More from the 2002 Don Meyer Coaching Academy ...