Boost your motivation and discover your potential with these inspiring sports quotes. You can unleash the strength to be the best version of yourself and conquer your goals.
Famous sports quotes can provide you with insight into how to find success, whether it’s through hard work, drive, perseverance, and determination, or by accepting failure as a part of the journey and continuing to ‘try, try again.’
Best Sports Quotes
You have to do something in your life that is honorable and not cowardly if you are to live in peace with yourself. Larry Brown
I really think a champion is defined not by their wins, but how they can recover when they fall. Serena Williams
There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do. Derek Jeter
An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head. Emil Zatopek
Don’t be afraid of failure. This is the way to succeed. LeBron James
There are only two options regarding commitment. You’re either in or you’re out. There is no such thing as life in between. Pat Riley
Never say never because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion. Michael Jordan
Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy. Wayne Gretzky
I don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant
Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man given. Be grateful. Conceit is self given. Be careful. John Wooden
Never let the fear of striking out get in your way. Babe Ruth
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
If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it then I can achieve it. Muhammad Ali
What keeps me going is not winning, but the quest for reaching potential in myself as a coach and my kids as divers. It’s the pursuit of excellence. Ron O’Brien
He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. Muhammad Ali
Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown. Ross Perot
It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up. Babe Ruth
I think sports gave me the first place where this awkward girl could feel comfortable in my own skin. I think that’s true for a lot of women sports gives you a part of your life where you can work at something and you look in the mirror and you like that person. Teri McKeever
The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do. Kobe Bryant
Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard to find alloy called guts. Dan Gable
It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe. Muhammad Ali
The hardest skill to acquire in this sport is the one where you compete all out, give it all you have, and you are still getting beat no matter what you do. When you have the killer instinct to fight through that, it is very special. Eddie Reese
I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me. And the one guy who didn’t vote for me, thank you, too. Shaquille O’Neal
Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records. William A. Ward
If you are afraid of failure you don’t deserve to be successful! Charles Barkley
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
Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. Arnold Schwarzenegger
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
I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all. Simone Biles
A champion needs a motivation above and beyond winning. Pat Riley
Overpower. Overtake. Overcome. Serena Williams
Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. Vince Lombardi
I believe in the impossible because no one else does. Florence Griffith Joyner
If you think it’s hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball. Jack Lemmon
Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as a team is another story. Casey Stengel
It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up. Vince Lombardi
The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory. Les Brown
When you’re riding, only the race in which you’re riding is important. Bill Shoemaker
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Wayne Gretzky
You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them. Michael Jordan
In the end, the game comes down to one thing man against man. May the best man win. Sam Huff
Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is. Vince Lombardi
Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play. Mike Singletary
I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty six 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
Pain is only temporary but victory is forever. Jeremy H
If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it. Ronnie Lott
A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t. Jack Dempsey
The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination. Tommy Lasorda
Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t pretend that you do and, and some point, you will. Venus Williams
The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about self improvement, about being better than you were the day before. Steve Young
You dream. You plan. You reach. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, with belief, with confidence and trust in yourself and those around you, there are no limits. Michael Phelps
There are certain basic qualities and characteristics you’ve got to have. Number one you’ve got to have a will to win. Bob Richards
You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy. Arthur Ashe
A champion is someone who does not settle for that day’s practice, that day’s competition, that day’s performance. They are always striving to be better. They don’t live in the past. Briana Scurry
If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail. Mark Spitz
Show me a gracious loser and I’ll show you a failure. Knute Rockne
Nothing can stop you and nothing can define you. Adeel Alam
Winning isn’t everything, but it beats anything that comes in second. Paul Bryant
Today, you have 100% of your life left. Tom Landry
Just be patient. Let the game come to you. Don’t rush. Be quick, but don’t hurry. Earl Monroe
When you’ve got something to prove, there’s nothing greater than a challenge. Terry Bradshaw
Nothing is black and white, except for winning and losing, and maybe that’s why people gravitate to that so much. Steve Nash
Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second. William James
I tell the kids, somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose. Just don’t fight about it. Just try to get better. Yogi Berra
The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning. Pele
It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up. Muhammad Ali
Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it. George Halas
Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability. John Wooden
Success is where preparation and opportunity meet. Bobby Unser
Competitive sports are played mainly on a five and a half inch court, the space between your ears. Bobby Jones
Many times, I had to dig deep and perform. All of that adversity helped me and drove me to want to be the best. Hayley Wickenheiser
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
No matter the circumstances that you may be going through, just push through it. Ray Lewis
You can’t win unless you learn how to lose. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours. Herb Brooks
You can motivate by fear, and you can motivate by reward. But both those methods are only temporary. The only lasting thing is self motivation. Homer Rice
At a young age winning is not the most important thing the important thing is to develop creative and skilled players with good confidence. Arsene Wenger
My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging. Hank Aaron
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Tim Notke
You control your own wins and losses. Maria Sharapova
Passion first and everything will fall into place. Holly Holm
You must not only have competitiveness but ability, regardless of the circumstance you face, to never quit. Abby Wambach
I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it. Sandy Koufax
Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle. Wilma Rudolph
I don’t have to wait for nobody, I move when I wanna move. Floyd Mayweather
It is action that creates motivation. Steve Backley
Most talented players don’t always succeed. Some don’t even make the team. It’s more what’s inside. Brett Favre
Leadership, like coaching, is fighting for the hearts and souls of men and getting them to believe in you. Eddie Robinson
Show me a guy who’s afraid to look bad, and I’ll show you a guy you can beat every time. Lou Brock
Never give up, never give in, and when the upper hand is ours, may we have the ability to handle the win with the dignity that we absorbed the loss. Doug Williams
During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at bats a season. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball. Mickey Mantle
If you have everything under control, you’re not moving fast enough. Mario Andretti
To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them. Picabo Street
What do do with a mistake recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it. Dean Smith
If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat. Herschel Walker
Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding. Jim Valvano
If you go around being afraid, you’re never going to enjoy life. You have only one chance, so you’ve got to have fun. Lindsey Vonn
If you don’t have confidence, you’ll always find a way not to win. Carl Lewis
But effort? Nobody can judge that because effort is between you and you. Ray Lewis
Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. Michael Jordan
Without self discipline, success is impossible, period. Lou Holtz
If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all? Joe Namath
Just keep going. Everybody gets better if they keep at it. Ted Williams
One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it. Knute Rockne
Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds. Larry Bird
You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get. Michael Phelps
The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital. Joe Paterno
What makes something special is not just what you have to gain, but what you feel there is to lose. Andre Agassi
Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. Satchel Paige
A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever. Mary Lou Retton
You’re never a loser until you quit trying. Mike Ditka
I never worry about the problem. I worry about the solution. Shaquille O’Neal
I’ve never lost a game. I just ran out of time. Michael Jordan
It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters. Evander Holyfield
Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up. Jim Valvano
Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement. Matt Biondi
Winning solves everything. Tiger Woods
To give any less than your best is to sacrifice a gift. Steve Prefontaine
Life is gonna throw you curve balls and it’s how you deal with them and your attitude and your work ethic. Kerri Strug
Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up. Dean Karnazes
For me, winning isn’t something that happens suddenly on the field when the whistle blows and the crowds roar. Winning is something that builds physically and mentally every day that you train and every night that you dream. Emmitt Smith
It’s all about the journey, not the outcome. Carl Lewis
So many people along the way, whatever it is you aspire to do, will tell you it can’t be done. But all it takes is imagination. You dream. You plan. You reach. Michael Phelps
The only one who can tell you ‘you can’t win is you and you don’t have to listen. Jessica Ennis Hill
Losing feels worse than winning feels good. Vin Scully
The only way to prove that you’re a good sport is to lose. Ernie Banks
You’ll score a lot of goals in your career but not one of them will happen without the help of a teammate. Abby Wambach
I just knew if it could be done, it had to be done, and I did it. Gertrude Ederle
It ain’t over till it’s over. Yogi Berra
The five S’s of sports training are stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit. Ken Doherty
The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done. Arnold Palmer
Victory is fleeting. Losing is forever. Billie Jean King
Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears. Laird Hamilton
Some may have more talent than you, but there is no excuse for anyone working harder than you do. John Tavares
Continuous effort not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential. Liane Cardes
No matter how much you’ve won, no matter how many games, no matter how many championships, no matter how many Super Bowls, you’re not winning now, so you stink. Bill Parcells
One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
To me the beauty of teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you have five acting as one. You become selfless. Coach Mike Krzyzewski
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
Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next. George Steinbrenner
A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be. Wayne Gretzky
Your biggest opponent isn’t the other guy. It’s human nature. Bobby Knight
When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less. Paul Brown
Watch your actions, they become your habits. Watch your habits, they become your character. Vince Lombardi
If you can’t outplay them, outwork them. Ben Hogan
Pressure is a word that is misused in our vocabulary. When you start thinking of pressure, it’s because you’ve started to think of failure. Tommy Lasorda
Make each day your masterpiece. John Wooden
You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there. Yogi Berra
Winners never quit and quitters never win. Vince Lombardi
Kill them with success and bury them with a smile. Usain Bolt
In baseball and in business, there are three types of people. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened. Tommy Lasorda
I mean, it’s not important what kind of pants you were; it’s how you wear them. Ronnie Lott
Champions keep playing until they get it right. Billie Jean King
I’ve had to learn to fight all my life got to learn to keep smiling. If you smile things will work out. Serena Williams
Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you. Arnold Palmer
I would have thought that the knowledge that you are going to be leapt upon by half a dozen congratulatory, but sweaty team mates would be inducement not to score a goal. Arthur Marshall
Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don’t do things right once in a while. You do them right all the time. Vince Lombardi
I’ve learned that something constructive comes from every defeat. Tom Landry
If a team wants to intimidate you physically and you let them, they’ve won. Mia Hamm
You are the handicap you must face. You are the one who must choose your place. James Lane Allen
It is more difficult to stay on top than to get there. Mia Hamm
When I race my mind is full of doubts who will finish second, who will finish third? Noureddine Morceli
Goals prepare Olympic athletes physically and mentally. Did you know that goals are used by sports psychologists in order to help athletes improve their performance? Paul Bailey
Sports do not build character. They reveal it. Heywood Broun
Bodybuilding is much like any other sport. To be successful, you must dedicate yourself 100% to your training, diet and mental approach. Arnold Schwarzenegger
In sports, players need to be reminded of their competition to become motivated to practice. The same can be applied in business. Gavin McGinnis
Somebody gives you an opportunity, say yes to it. So what if you fail? you won’t know if you fail or succeed unless you try. Ann Meyers
Everybody’s got plans until they get hit. Mike Tyson
You win some, you lose some, and some get rained out, but you gotta suit up for them all. J. Askenberg
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
Always work hard, never give up, and fight until the end because it’s never really over until the whistle blows. Alex Morgan
Winning means you’re willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else. Vince Lombardo
Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That’s what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice. Bethany Hamilton
Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up. Rocky Balboa
Age is no barrier. It’s a limitation you put on your mind. Jackie Joyner Kersee
At one point in your life you either have the thing you want or the reasons why you don’t. Andy Roddick
You’ve got to be confident when you’re competing. You’ve got to be a beast. Gabby Douglas
It never gets easier. You just get better. Jordan Hoechlin
It’s going to be a journey. It’s not a sprint to get in shape. Kerri Walsh Jennings
Winners never quit and quitters never win. Sports do not build character. They reveal it. Heywood Broun
Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back play for her. Mia Hamm
It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort. Jillian Michaels
The past doesn’t matter. Take today. Becky Sauerbrunn
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