When Dave Hannah, who was a football player at Oklahoma State, had the vision to start Athletes in Action in 1966 he knew where to go for good advice about basketball…..He called John Wooden, first call.
Coach Wooden did not disappoint. He told Dave that if he wants to get college teams to play AIA the game would have to be an exhibition game that wouldn’t count against their regular season games, along with getting it sanctioned by the NCAA. Dave talked to Coach again and Coach sent a letter to the NCAA on our behalf giving us great credibility as he had already won 2 NCAA titles with UCLA. Then in 1974 UCLA, led by Coach Wooden, played AIA in an exhibition game.
In 1976 Dave put together a 5 game series that was televised nationally against some of the best teams in the Country. Coach Wooden and UCLA won their 10th NCAA National Title the year before in 1975 then he retired. For this 5 game series in 1976 Coach was the color commentator, again giving AIA great credibility.
We fast forward to 1997 when we saw the success of the Super Bowl Breakfast where the Bart Starr Award was presented each year. It seemed like the next step would be to have an event like this during the Final Four. So, who do we ask???? Coach Wooden! We spoke with Coach a number of times about the possibility of him being the namesake for an award that we would give out. After several conversations Coach agreed to help in this way. The next hurdle was what should we call the award, the Pyramid to Success was used a lot, and there was already a John Wooden Player award. Then Coach told us about a 7 Point Creed that his dad, Joshua, gave him when he graduated from elementary school. It was very simple, fundamental and deep with meaning, so that seemed like the way to go. But, you can’t call the award the 7 Point Creed award. So, we kept talking and Coach said when his dad gave him this, that if he tried to follow this 7 Point Creed that he would have a good life. In hearing that, as we talked further, it seemed like this Creed was actually a key to a good life. So, we ended up with the “Keys to Life” award, while calling the event Legends of the Hardwood Breakfast. Coach attended this event for 6 years straight to present “The Keys to Life” award in person, then as his health kept him from traveling, his daughter Nan came every year to represent the Wooden family through to 2017.
After having a relationship with Coach Wooden for decades we asked him about lending his name to a future fieldhouse on our campus and, as he always did, he listened and then thought about it for a while. We talked some more then after a few weeks he said “If it will help you at AIA we can do it, but it can’t be just John Wooden, it must be the family, hence the Wooden Family Fieldhouse.
