100+ Inspirational Sports Quotes About Success (From Athletes & Coaches)

Where do pro athletes gain all their motivation? And how, exactly, can you get some of that motivation for yourself? Reading their meaningful quotes might just give you the insight you’re looking for! In this article, we’ve compiled a vast collection of motivational sports quotes that focus on overcoming challenges, dealing with anxiety, embracing your confidence, and putting in the hard work needed for success! Keep scrolling to gain all the inspiration you’ll need to keep reaching for the stars as an athlete.

Great Examples of Sports Motivational Quotes

“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” —Michael Phelps
“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
“A winner is a person that gets up one more time than she is knocked down.” —Mia Hamm
"The best motivation always comes from within." —Michael Johnson
“Hard work has made it easy. That is my secret. That is why I win.” —Nadia Comaneci
“I just knew if it could be done, it had to be done, and I did it.” —Gertrude Ederle
“You can't win if you don't play as a unit.” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Section 1 of 9:

The Best Motivational Sports Quotes

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Motivation counts for a lot in the world of sports! When you’re motivated, you have the drive to train, improve, and triumph. So, when you need a little push or extra dose of motivation, you can take inspiration from the sports greats (and other notable public figures, writers, and speakers). Here’s a compilation of the best motivational quotes for athletes:
- "Champions aren't made in the gym. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision." —Muhammad Ali, world heavyweight champion boxer
- “You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” —Michael Phelps, Olympic swimmer
- “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” —Tommy Lasorda, baseball player and manager
- “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” —Michael Jordan, legendary basketball player
- “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
- “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” —Vince Lombardi, NFL coach and executive
- “A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.” —Billie Jean King, tennis champion
- "To succeed…you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you." —Tony Dorsett, NFL running back
- “The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.” —Les Brown, motivational speaker
- "The best motivation always comes from within." —Michael Johnson, Olympic champion sprinter
- “It doesn’t matter what your background is or where you came from. If you have dreams and goals, that’s all that matters.” —Serena Williams, tennis player
- “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” —Nelson Mandela, activist and President of South Africa
- "To begin, begin." —Peter Nivio Zarglena, author
- "True disputants are like true sportsmen: their whole delight is in the pursuit." —Alexander Pope, English poet

Section 2 of 9:

Sports Quotes About Overcoming Adversity

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Every athlete (and every person, for that matter) faces obstacles sooner or later; it’s a part of life. And, while adversity can definitely wear you out, it’s important to know that you have the power to overcome it, which is what these quotes are here to remind you of! So, take a look at these meaningful sports quotes about strength in the face of adversity:
- “The measure of who we are is how we react if something doesn’t go our way.” —Usain Bolt, track and field athlete
- “A winner is a person that gets up one more time than she is knocked down.” —Mia Hamm, soccer player
- "If you can't accept losing, you can't win." —Vince Lombardi
- “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
- "Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement." —Charles F. Kettering, inventor
- “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” —George Herman “Babe” Ruth, legendary baseball player
- “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I cannot accept not trying.” —Michael Jordan
- "Difficulties in life are intended to make us better, not bitter." —Dan Reeves, NFL head coach
- “What makes something special is not just what you have to gain, but what you feel there is to lose.” —Andre Agassi, tennis player
- “Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.” —William A. Ward, writer
- “Winning is not everything, but making the effort to win is.” – Zig Ziglar, author
- "It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe." —Muhammad Ali
- “The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.” —Arnold Palmer, golfer
- "Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward." —Vernon Law, former pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates

Section 3 of 9:

Motivational Sports Quotes About Anxiety

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It’s natural to feel anxiety when you’re gearing up for a big game, or about to attempt a match-winning move. But knowing that other people (especially pro athletes) are in the exact same boat and have their own methods to quell some of those nerves can definitely help!^{[1]
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Research source} To that end, here’s a collection of motivational sports quotes about anxiety (and dealing with it):
- “What you feel doesn’t matter in the end; it’s what you do that makes you brave.” —Andre Agassi
- “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” —George Herman “Babe” Ruth
- “Pressure is a privilege.” —Virgil van Dijk, soccer player
- “Worrying is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.” —Glenn Turner, cricketer and coach
- “I don’t focus on what I’m up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest.” —Venus Williams, tennis player
- “If I’m nervous, it means I had to work hard to get there, whether it’s playing in a tournament or speaking at an event. So I try to stop and be proud of getting to live in that moment.” —Maria Sharapova, tennis player
- “Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.” —Laird Hamilton, surfer
- “When I got to match point in the final, I was afraid I’d be a little nervous, but I just said, You have to stay focused, just think about what you have to do.” —Gabriela Sabatini, tennis player
- “Every athlete acquires routines as a way to help control nerves.” —Hope Solo, soccer goalkeeper and Olympic medalist
- "A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety." —Aesop, Greek fabulist
- “To play well, you must feel tranquil and at peace. I have never been troubled by nerves in golf because I felt I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.” —Harry Vardon, golfer
- “People say to me all the time, ‘You have no fear.’ I tell them, ‘No, that’s not true. I’m scared all the time. You have to have fear in order to have courage. I’m a courageous person because I’m a scared person.” —Ronda Rousey, pro wrestler
- "Concentration is a fine antidote to anxiety." —Jack Nicklaus, golfer

Section 4 of 9:

Motivational Quotes About Teamwork

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As the saying goes, “teamwork makes the dream work!” In team sports, the ability to work cohesively is absolutely invaluable—as plenty of professional athletes (and other public figures from outside the sports stadiums) can attest.^{[2]
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Research source} Check out these inspirational quotes about teamwork:
- “You can't win if you don't play as a unit.” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, basketball player
- “For a team to be motivated enough to win, each individual member must be motivated.” —Tom Landry, football coach
- “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.” —George Herman “Babe” Ruth
- "You don't play against opponents, you play against the game of basketball." —Bobby Knight, basketball coach
- “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” —Helen Keller, activist and author
- “One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.” —Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- “The secret of winning football games is working more as a team, less as individuals. I play not my 11 best, but my best 11.” —Knute Rockne, College Football Hall of Fame coach
- “I am no genius; I just worked hard like my other teammates, and I believe all my teammates can win the title as they work hard, too.” —Lin Dan, badminton player
- “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, psychologist
- “To me, teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you have five acting as one. You become selfless.” —Mike Krzyzewski, basketball coach
- “Surround yourself with good people. People who are going to be honest with you and look out for your best interests.” —Derek Jeter, baseball player
- “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” —Amy Poehler, comedian and actress
- “Collaboration has no hierarchy. The Sun collaborates with soil to bring flowers on the Earth.” —Amit Ray

Section 5 of 9:

Quotes About Having Fun in Sports

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At the end of the day, sports should be fun, too—right? If you ever find yourself talking things a little too seriously and need a reminder to let go and enjoy yourself, we’ve got you covered. Because, as it turns out, the greatest athletes around want you to enjoy the sports you play, too!^{[3]
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Research source} See what they have to say:
- “May you always remember to enjoy the road, especially when it’s a hard one.” —Kobe Bryant
- “Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.” —Michael Jordan
- “I can't play being mad. I go out there and have fun. It's a game, and that's how I am going to treat it.” —Ken Griffey Jr., baseball player
- “Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.” —Mike Singletary, 49ers head coach
- “The most we can hope for is to create the best possible conditions for success, then let go of the outcome. The ride is a lot more fun that way.” —Phil Jackson, basketball player and coach
- “The rewards are going to come, but my happiness is just loving the sport and having fun performing.” —Jackie Joyner Kersee, track and field star
- “It’s how I’ve been playing since I was a kid. I always want to have fun.” —Luka Doncic, basketball player
- “Life is more fun if you play games.” —Roald Dahl, author
- “A life of frustration is inevitable for any coach whose main enjoyment is winning.” —Chuck Noll, coach for the Steelers

Section 6 of 9:

Sports Quotes About Spirit & Mental Strength

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Sports aren’t just about physical ability and strength—being the best of the best also requires wisdom, strategy, and mental fortitude. So, we’ve compiled a collection of sports quotes from athletes all about the mental strength they pour into their craft; hopefully, you can find some inspiration and motivation from them, too!^{[4]
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- “Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” – Bethany Hamilton, champion surfer
- "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." —Mahatma Gandhi, political and spiritual leader
- “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, football player and coach
- “I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything.” —Michael Phelps
- "Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength." —Phil Jackson
- “I just knew if it could be done, it had to be done, and I did it.” —Gertrude Ederle, swimmer
- "Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles." —Alex Karras, football player
- “The five S’s of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit.” —Ken Doherty, snooker player
- "A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be." —Wayne Gretzky, hockey star
- “The best competition I have is against myself to become better.” —John Wooden, basketball coach
- “When I step onto the court, I don't have to think about anything. If I have a problem off the court, I find that after I play, my mind is clearer and I can come up with a better solution. It's like therapy. It relaxes me and allows me to solve problems.” —Michael Jordan
- “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.” —Heywood Broun, journalist
- “The lessons of the sports field prepare you for the game of life.” —John Wooden
- “One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it.” —Knute Rockne

Section 7 of 9:

Motivational Quotes to Boost Confidence

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Sometimes, you just need a confidence boost before you put yourself out there—as an athlete, or as a person. That’s true of just about everyone, including the best athletes, speakers, thinkers, and public figures in the world. So, we’ve compiled a list of motivational quotes to give you confidence and remind you to have faith in yourself!
- “Know yourself and you will win all battles.” —Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher
- “Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.” —Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States
- “I never criticize a player until they are first convinced of my unconditional confidence in their abilities.” —John Robinson, football player
- “The most important thing is to believe in yourself and not be swayed by what other people think.” —Carli Lloyd, soccer player
- “Confidence isn’t given. It’s earned.” —Lindsey Vonn, alpine ski racer
- “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” —Larry Bird, basketball player and coach
- “If you don't have confidence, you'll always find a way not to win.” —Carl Lewis, track and field athlete
- “I am confident because I put in the work.” —Simone Biles, gymnast and Olympic champion
- “My confidence comes from the daily grind—training my butt off day in and day out.” —Hope Solo
- “You can’t control what people say about you and what they think about you. You can’t plan for bad luck. You can only work your hardest and do your best, and tell the truth. In the end, it’s the effort that matters. The rest is beyond your control.” – Maria Sharapova
- “Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosopher and writer
- “Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.” —Samuel Johnson, writer
- “No one can define you but you. No one can stop you from reaching your dreams but you.” —Mia Hamm
- “Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” —Peter T. McIntyre, painter and author
- “If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” —Thomas Edison, inventor

Section 8 of 9:

Motivational Sports Quotes About Hard Work & Effort

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Finally, let’s talk about perhaps the most important aspect of excelling in sports: hard work. In moments of self-doubt, use these motivational sports quotes to remind yourself that your hard work can absolutely pay off in the end—so long as you just keep at it and don’t give up!
- “Talent is never enough. With few exceptions, the best players are the hardest workers.” —Magic Johnson, basketball player
- “I start early and I stay late, day after day, year after year. It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success.” —Lionel Messi, soccer player
- “I am building a fire, and every day I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.” —Mia Hamm
- “There may be people who have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” —Derek Jeter
- “It's a round ball and a round bat, and you got to hit it square.” —Pete Rose, baseball player
- “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” —Billie Jean King
- “Hard work has made it easy. That is my secret. That is why I win.” —Nadia Comaneci, gymnast
- “The road to Easy Street goes through the sewer.” —John Madden, football coach
- “Don't tell me how rocky the sea is, just bring the ship in.” —Lou Holtz, college football Hall of Famer
- “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” —Tim Notke, high school basketball coach
- “God gets you to the plate, but once you're there, you're on your own.” —Ted Williams, baseball player
- “Hard work opens doors and shows the world that you are serious about being one of those rare—and special—human beings who use the fullness of their talents to do their very best.” —Robin Sharma, writer
- “I was told over and over again that I would never be successful, that I was not going to be competitive, and the technique was simply not going to work. All I could do was shrug and say, ‘We'll just have to see.’” —Dick Fosbury, Olympic gold medalist
- “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.” —Tim Duncan, basketball player and coach
- “I had to put in the work. I had to go the extra mile.” —Serena Williams
- “You owe it to yourself to be the best you can possibly be—in baseball and in life.” —Pete Rose
- “Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.” —Will Rogers, actor

Section 9 of 9:

Why Motivational Quotes Matter

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Motivational quotes can reinforce your efforts (and confidence). When you look at motivational quotes from sports legends and other influential people, it can help you get in a “winning” mindset before your next training session, game, or competition. Success isn’t just luck or talent; it’s built on hard work, willpower, and fortitude. So, when you’re feeling low, you can use these motivational quotes to help you get into a more confident and inspired state of mind!
- Motivational quotes also contain nuggets of wisdom. You might learn something new to carry with you in life, whether you pursue sports or some other skill.
- Plus, motivational quotes can provide a little extra inspirational kick in moments of self-doubt.