Great Motivational Sports Quotes:

Winning takes talent; to repeat takes character.

- John Wooden

source: "The Wizard's wisdom: 'Woodenisms'", www.espn.com. June 4, 2010.

topic: Basketball, Motivational Sports, Character, Sports Coaching, Sports Leadership

I've always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn't have a chance to win.

- Arnold Palmer

topic: Perseverance, Motivational Sports, Determination, Inspirational Coach, Inspirational Coaching

The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.

- Joe Paterno

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

You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.

- Michael Phelps

source: FaceBook post by Michael Phelps from Jan 19, 2012

topic: Inspirational, Sports, Dream, Inspirational Athlete, Great Sports

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

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

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.

- John Wooden

topic: Motivational, Inspiring, Graduation, Inspirational Learning, Sports Coaching

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

- John Wooden

source: "The Wizard's wisdom: 'Woodenisms'", www.espn.com. June 4, 2010.

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Positive, Best Coaches, Inspirational Attitude

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

- John Wooden

source: John Wooden, Jack Tobin, Bill Walton (2004). “They Call Me Coach”, McGraw Hill Professional

topic: Inspirational, Success, Integrity, Good Character, Best Coaches

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

- John Wooden

topic: Beautiful, Motivation, Grateful, Inspirational Coach, Inspirational Coaching

Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.

- John Wooden

topic: Inspirational, Life, Change, Inspirational Athlete, Inspirational Coach

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

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.

- Will Rogers

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Daily Work, Management Motivation

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

I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.

- Vince Lombardi

source: Vince Lombardi (2012). “What it Takes to be Number One”, Thomas Nelson Inc

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Positive, Favorite Sports, Best Coaches

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

The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.

- Arnold Schwarzenegger

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Strength, Great Sports, Sports Spirit

Competing in sports has taught me that if I'm not willing to give 120 percent, somebody else will.

- Ron Blomberg

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Sports, Popular Sports, Great Motivational Sports

Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We.

- Phil Jackson

topic: Teamwork, Surrender, Enough, Inspirational Coach, Basketball Coaching

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.

- Calvin Coolidge

topic: Motivational, Wisdom, Loss, Unsuccessful, Perserverance

Great teamwork is the only way we create the breakthroughs that define our careers.

- Pat Riley

source: Pat Riley (1993). “Winner Within Success”, Putnam Publishing Group

topic: Teamwork, Careers, Way, Inspirational Coach, Sports Coach

It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.

- John Wooden

topic: Sports, Motivational Sports, Games, Sports Leadership, Basketball Leadership

Great moments are born from great opportunities.

- Herb Brooks

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

topic: Sports, Opportunity, Moments, Great Moments, Inspirational Hockey

What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player.

- John Wooden

topic: Life, Basketball, Motivational Sports, Good Sportsmanship, Motivational Basketball

When you're riding, only the race in which you're riding is important.

- Bill Shoemaker

topic: Motivational, Athlete, Race, Great Sports, Sports Spirit

Sweat plus sacrifice equals success.

- Charlie Finley

topic: Baseball, Sacrifice, Sweat, Sports Spirit, Funny Inspirational Sports

The five S's of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit.

- Ken Doherty

topic: Inspirational, Sports, Fitness, Inspirational Runner, Sports Spirit

Never mistake activity for achievement.

- John Wooden

topic: Inspirational, Basketball, Motivational Sports, Inspirational Achievement, Basketball Coaching

Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.

- Tom Landry

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Teamwork, Great Sports, Inspirational Football Coach

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

The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before.

- Steve Young

topic: Change, Self, Principles, Inspirational Football, Inspirational Athlete

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.

- Vince Lombardi

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

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Perseverance, Best Of Me, Best Coaches

Show me a guy who's afraid to look bad, and I'll show you a guy you can beat every time.

- Lou Brock

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

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Inspiring, Inspirational Athlete, Inspirational Hockey

Concentration is the ability to think about absolutely nothing when it is absolutely necessary.

- Ray Knight

topic: Sports, Thinking, Concentration, Great Sports, Sports Competition

Some people say I have attitude - maybe I do... but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does - that makes you a winner right there.

- Venus Williams

topic: Motivational, Success, Sports, Inspirational Attitude, Just Believe In Yourself

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

My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you'll win... channel your energy. Focus.

- Carl Lewis

source: Carl Lewis, Jeffrey Marx (1992). “Inside track: my professional life in amateur track and field”, Fireside

topic: Running, Block, Athlete, Marathon Running, Sports Spirit

Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

- Michael Jordan

topic: Motivational, Sports, Figures, Favorite Sports, Inspirational Football

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

There is no such thing as life in-between.

- Pat Riley

topic: Motivational, Sports, Inspirational Athlete, Inspirational Coaching, Inspirational Commitment

You can't put a limit anything.

- Michael Phelps

topic: Cheerleading, Limits, Inspirational Athlete, Sports In General, Sports Training

Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision.

- Muhammad Ali

source: Twitter post from Feb 03, 2011

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Dream, Cassius, Martial Arts Inspirational

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

- Seneca the Younger

topic: Inspirational, Success, Tattoo, Baseball Games, Softball Team

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

- Serena Williams

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

Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is.

- Vince Lombardi

topic: Inspirational, Wisdom, Motivational Sports, Inspirational Football, Inspirational Winning