Nebraska Ministry Updates
June 26, 2010
Coach Wooden’s memorial service is this weekend. What great memories of the man who mentored me. The following is a piece I recently wrote regarding this that in tribute, I thought you’d enjoy reading. Thanks for your partnership in ministry! Ralph
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wooden: The Peripatetic Professor
Washington D.C., June 24, 2010 – Historically rooted in the classic western model of education is collegiate athletics. In the quest to develop the body soul and spirit of tomorrow’s leaders, athletic competition was originally intended to, and still does, facilitate a vital role in character formation. This is a time-honored tradition in our academic, preparatory system, an integral part of historic American culture. In the context of that beautiful tradition, I have always viewed Coach Wooden more so as Professor Wooden—one of the staff members of the University—whose primary objective was not to win championships, but to ready his students for tomorrow’s America. Those are the vibes I got from him when he recruited me.
Of all the Profs I encountered at UCLA he was by far the preeminent, the patriarch. The reasons are quite simple: For one, he had the largest classroom with the fewest students; and his class didn’t meet for just a quarter, it met every day, almost all-year-long, and every year. One quickly learned his class syllabus had two primary ingredients, although not in writing, they were a monstrous part of the curriculum: twin sisters who went by the names impeccability and non-negotiability. One even had to wear a uniform, with shirt-tail niftily tucked in, in order to stand in the presence of the maestro. Hair must be combed and the face cleanly shaven. This particular professor was so fastidious; oft he would check one’s socks for wrinkles and lacings for uniformity! There was no getting away with anything inside his Pavilion. Don’t even think about it.
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His balance of instruction was both firm, “Ralph, if you throw away one more outlet pass you will be denied the privilege of practice with your teammates!” and caring: Unbeknownst to me, he knew about
my mother being in a very dangerous surgery, the timing of which happened to coincide with practice. To my surprise, he stopped practice, called the team into a huddle and told us with tearful, loving eyes that he had just received news that mom’s surgery at the medical center was a complete success. Who wouldn’t play their heart out for a man like that?
What set this professor so far above the others was his style of instruction. Whereas most of the Profs were about a didactic transference of information from teacher to pupil, Professor Wooden was a peripatetic tutor likened to Jesus. After 18 months Jesus transformed a handful of men into His disciples. The Bible records that these few men literally, “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6); the teams of my professor did the same. Why? Because he walked with me and he talked with me; Wooden was the consummate peripatetic professor. Unlike Jesus who taught with many parables, Wooden had but one: Basketball. Through the metaphor of sport the master inculcated the skill at living life to the next generation. I am so indebted.
People often ask me, “What did Coach Wooden teach you about life?” My answer is quite simple and plain, “What didn’t he teach me about life?” I will miss my friend dearly, Ralph Drollinger
An Academic All-American, Ralph Drollinger is best remembered for his play on Coach Wooden’s last championship team in 1975. He is the Founder and President of Capitol Ministries, which has started over 50 ministries in Federal and State Capitols throughout the world. He teaches the weekly Legislative Members Bible Study in our nation’s capitol in Washington D.C.
Contact: Ralph Drollinger
ralph@capmin.org
P.O. Box 78078
Washington, DC 20013
Cell: 661-803-7970
Ralph Drollinger
President and Founder