Mortar 5, Resourcefulness (Bot9 #133)
Resourcefulness - Mortar 5, John Wooden's Pyramid of Success by Keith Wahl
"To hold a structure of bricks (or blocks) together, the mason applies mortar around each layer. In the Pyramid of Success, character qualities bond the 15 building blocks, thus symbolizing mortar. These character qualities actually run throughout the Pyramid and help us advance toward the apex."
John Wooden was potentially at his most resourceful when he was the athletic director, the head basketball coach, the head baseball coach, a teacher, and a graduate student while he was at Indiana State University. Can you imagine? When I start to look at all of the hats I'm wearing, it would be hard to compare them to what Wooden did in his early career!
Resourcefulness is defined as "the ability and creativity to cope with difficulties." We respect the coaches who are able to be creative and overcome the opposition. Wooden and other great basketball coaches created innovative systems that changed the strategies of the game such as the full-court press, the exploitation of the three-point shot, and others.
The best football coaches also innovate in order to overcome. Lombardi, Landry, and others have made their names in football by changing the strategies within the game. Paul Brown (pictured above) created modern ideas of film study, scouting, communications systems like running plays in with players from the bench and intercom systems in the quarterback's helmet, as well as the West Coast Offense. Brown, along with his offensive coordinator Bill Walsh, created the West Coast as a short, efficient passing option to match the physical gifts (or limitations) of his quarterback. Needless to say, Brown's success through Resourcefulness as a high school, college, and professional coach made him a legend.
The expression of Resourcefulness in baseball history has been different. Billy Beane and the Moneyball movement showed people a better way to use the resources on the field. At the same time, Moneyball didn't change how the game was played in the way that basketball and football coaches of years gone by did. It changed the value system, but not the game. Pitchers still pitched, hitters still hit, and fielders still played defensive. Baseball coaches match wits with each other in the same way they did more than a century ago.
The beauty of life is that God never challenges us without giving us the tools to overcome the challenge. He granted these great coaches wisdom, and He will do the same for us in our daily trials. The Lord promises advice, wisdom, and guidance, and all we have to do is rely upon Him to grant it.
"I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." - Psalm 32:8