Great Athletic Quotes:

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

- John Wooden

source: "This Speech Was Given Before The #4Women4AllWomen Run" by Powdered Feet, womensrunning.competitor.com. January 25, 2017.

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Favorite Sports, Inspiration And Motivation

One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it.

- Knute Rockne

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Positive, Notre Dame, Inspirational Football

I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'

- Muhammad Ali

source: Twitter post from Feb 20, 2011

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Fitness, I Am The Best, Inspirational Coach

I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

- Michael Jordan

source: "Nike Culture : The Sign of the Swoosh". Book by Robert Goldman, Stephen Papson (p. 49), 1998.

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Favorite Sports, Best Success

To succeed, you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.

- Tony Dorsett

source: Tony Dorsett, Harvey Frommer (1989). “Running tough: memoirs of a football maverick”, Doubleday Books

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Success, Sports Spirit, Professional Career

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.

- Vince Lombardi

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Success, Best Success, Inspirational Football

You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.

- Jerry West

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Leadership, Famous Basketball, Motivational Basketball

Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like the muscles of the body.

- Lynn Jennings

topic: Motivational, Running, Exercise, Marathon Motivational, Marathon Runners

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.

- Lou Holtz

topic: Inspirational, Life, Positive, Inspirational Football, Softball Player

To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will.

- Sugar Ray Robinson

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Positive, Inspirational Athlete, Inspirational Attitude

You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.

- Michael Jordan

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Happiness, Improve Self Esteem, Just Believe In Yourself

It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.

- Vince Lombardi

source: Vince Lombardi, Jr. (2012). “What It Takes to Be Number One”, p.31, Thomas Nelson Inc

topic: Love, Inspirational, Life, Inspirational Football, Softball Team

If you're bored with life - you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things - you don't have enough goals.

- Lou Holtz

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Inspirational Goal, Being Bored

It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters.

- Evander Holyfield

topic: Heart, Athlete, Men, Inspirational Athlete, Sports In General

Whoever said, 'It's not whether you win or lose that counts,' probably lost.

- Martina Navratilova

topic: Funny, Sports, Running, Sporting Events, Inspirational Tennis

If you aren't going all the way, why go at all?

- Joe Namath

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Sports, Inspirational Football, Baseball Games

A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.

- Wayne Gretzky

topic: Sports, Athlete, Hockey, Inspirational Hockey, Sports Competition

The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.

- Pele

topic: Athlete, Winning, Victory, Favorite Sports, Inspirational Athlete

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.

- Muhammad Ali

topic: Motivational, Success, Dance, Great Sports, Sports Training

I learned that if you want to make it bad enough, no matter how bad it is, you can make it.

- Gale Sayers

source: Gale Sayers, Al Silverman (1972). “I Am Third”

topic: Athlete, Want, Matter, Inspirational Football, Sports Spirit

You're never a loser until you quit trying.

- Mike Ditka

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Sports, Baseball Games, Inspirational History

Just keep going. Everybody gets better if they keep at it.

- Ted Williams

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Inspirational Football, Inspirational History

It's not whether you win or lose - but whether I win or lose.

- Sandy Lyle

topic: Sports, Motivational Sports, Winning, Sporting Events, Inspirational Tennis

Every kid around the world who plays soccer wants to be Pele. I have a great responsibility to show them not just how to be like a soccer player, but how to be like a man.

- Pele

topic: Soccer, Kids, Responsibility, Favorite Sports, Inspirational Soccer

If you don't have confidence, you'll always find a way not to win.

- Carl Lewis

topic: Inspirational, Winning, Way, Inspirational Athlete, Sports Training

The difference between the old ballplayer and the new ballplayer is the jersey. The old ballplayer cared about the name on the front. The new ballplayer cares about the name on the back.

- Steve Garvey

source: "There's No I in Team, But Me Plays a Big Role" by Tom Gerdy, www.huffingtonpost.com. January 19, 2012.

topic: Sports, Baseball, Athlete, Inspirational Baseball, Popular Sports

In the end, it's extra effort that separates a winner from second place. But winning takes a lot more that that, too. It starts with complete command of the fundamentals. Then it takes desire, determination, discipline, and self-sacrifice. And finally, it takes a great deal of love, fairness and respect for your fellow man. Put all these together, and even if you don't win, how can you lose?

- Jesse Owens

topic: Determination, Athlete, Sacrifice, Second Place, Extra Effort

You play to win the game...Hello. You play to win the game.

- Herman Edwards

source: News conference, Hempstead, N.Y., 30 Oct. 2002.

topic: Sports, Winning, Games, Inspirational Football Coach, Nfl Players

I run on the road long before I dance under the lights.

- Muhammad Ali

topic: Sports, Running, Light, Great Sports, Sports Training

If you train hard, you'll not only be hard, you'll be hard to beat.

- Herschel Walker

source: Herschel Walker (1989). “Herschel Walker's Basic Training”, Main Street Books

topic: Motivational, Sports, Athlete, Inspirational Athlete, Great Sports

You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.

- Serena Williams

topic: Positive, Believe, Doe, Inspirational Attitude, Just Believe In Yourself

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.

- Lance Armstrong

source: "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life". Book by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins, May 22, 2000.

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Perseverance, Love Pain, Sports Mental Toughness

The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.

- Babe Ruth

source: "Biography/ Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

topic: Leadership, Basketball, Teamwork, Baseball Games, Softball Player

The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it.

- Wayne Gretzky

topic: Motivational, Sports, Dog, Inspirational Athlete, Inspirational Hockey

You find that you have peace of mind and can enjoy yourself, get more sleep, and rest when you know that it was a one hundred percent effort that you gave - win or lose.

- Gordie Howe

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Sports, Inspirational Hockey, Sports Competition

Doctors and scientists said breaking the four-minute mile was impossible, that one would die in the attempt. Thus, when I got up from the track after collapsing at the finish line, I figured I was dead

- Roger Bannister

topic: Sports, Doctors, Track, Sports In General, Sports Training

A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.

- Ara Parseghian

topic: Motivational, Sports, Teamwork, Inspirational Coaching, Sports Coach

My prototypical quarterback is a competitive guy that's a winner, somebody that has great athletic instincts, somebody who is very accurate throwing the football, a quick-minded guy who can think fast on his feet and can make decisions quickly, someone who has leadership ability, an understanding of timing and can make really good decisions.

- Jim Harbaugh

source: Source: www.sfgate.com

topic: Great Athletic