These sports quotes will give you the push you need on the days when it doesn't feel easy to compete
41 Sports Quotes for Success On and Off the Field
Updated on Oct. 01, 2024
Watching an athlete push themselves to conquer a seemingly inhumane feat is inspiring in itself—even when you’re the athlete in this scenario. But even the best of the best suffer from feeling as if they are not good enough. Sometimes you just need a little motivation, and these sports quotes serve as that little push to give it your all. From leadership quotes and teamwork quotes, these words by some of the most notable athletes and coaches will give you that inspiration you need to keep moving forward. We’ll be cheering you on from the stands!
Read on for a collection of inspirational sports quotes.
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Inspirational sports quotes
1. “The only one who can tell you ‘you can’t win’ is you and you don’t have to listen.”—Jessica Ennis-Hill
2. “The only way to prove that you’re a good sport is to lose.” —Ernie Banks
3. “I just knew if it could be done, it had to be done, and I did it.” —Gertrude Ederle
4. “The five S’s of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit.” —Ken Doherty
5. “It’s at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys.” —Emil Zatopek
6. “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
7. “Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.” —Laird Hamilton
8. “Continuous effort—not strength or intelligence—is the key to unlocking our potential.” —Liane Cordes
9. “What you feel doesn’t matter in the end; it’s what you do that makes you brave.” —Andre Agassi
10. “You win a few, you lose a few. Some get rained out. But you got to dress for all of them.” —Satchel Paige
11. “Always work hard, never give up, and fight until the end because it’s never really over until the whistle blows.” —Alex Morgan
12. “I believe in the impossible because no one else does.” —Florence Griffith Joyner
13. “There is something about seeing myself improve that motivates and excites me.” —Jackie Joyner-Kersee
14. “Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” —Mary Lou Retton
15. “You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours.” —Herb Brooks
16. “Everyone wants to win. But to truly succeed—whether it is at a sport or at your job or in life—you have to be willing to do the hard work, overcome the challenges, and make the sacrifices it takes to be the best at what you do.” —Ronda Rousey
17. “My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having troubles off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.” —Hank Aaron
18.“You control your own wins and losses.” —Maria Sharapova
19. “I’m chasing perfection… and if I don’t get it, I’m going to get this close.” —Kobe Bryant
20. “I don’t focus on what I’m up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest.” —Venus Williams
21. “I always felt that my greatest asset was not my physical ability, it was my mental ability.” —Caitlyn Jenner
22. “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
23. “Dream as big as you can dream, and anything is possible.” —Michael Phelps
Motivational sports quotes
25. “You’re playing a game, whether it’s Little League or Game 7 of the World Series. It’s impossible to do well unless you’re having a good time. People talk about pressure. Yeah, there’s pressure. But I just look at it as fun.” —Derek Jeter
26. “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.” —Vince Lombardi
27. “The reward is not so great without the struggle…. The triumph can’t be had without the struggle.” —Wilma Rudolph
28 “Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.” —George F. Will
29. “Sometimes, a defeat can be more beautiful and satisfying than certain victories. The English have a point in insisting that it matters not who won or lost, but how you played the game.” —Arthur Ashe
30. “The greatest pleasure is obtained by improving.” —Ben Hogan
31. “Even while they teach, men learn.” —Seneca the Younger
32. “When you read about an athlete or team that wins over and over and over, remind yourself, ‘More than ability, they have character.’” —Carol Dweck
33 “For a team to be motivated enough to win, each individual member must be motivated.” —Tom Landry
34. “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.” —Tommy Lasorda
35. “Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” —Matt Biondi
36. “One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.” —Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Sports quotes about training
37. “I hated every minute of it [training]. But I said to myself, ‘Suffer now, and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” —Muhammad Ali
38. “It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” —Paul “Bear” Bryant
39. “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” —Billie Jean King
40. “If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail.” —Mark Spitz
41. “When you fall, get right back up. Just keep going, keep pushing it.” —Lindsey Vonn
Now that you’re eager to run on the field after reading these sports quotes, check out these patience quotes that will remind you to be patient with yourself.
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite quotes for over 100 years. The sayings and quips that appear in the magazine’s “Quotable Quotes” (formerly “Remarkable Remarks”) are curated from interviews and essays originally published in the magazine, reprints from trusted titles and other verified sources. For this piece, Emma Taubenfeld tapped her experiences as a lifestyle editor for Reader’s Digest to ensure that all information is accurate. We’ve gone the extra step and had Ambrose Martose, a fact-checker with 20-plus years of experience researching for national publications including National Geographic Adventure and Popular Mechanics, verify that all quotes are attributed correctly and have credible sourcing. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
