68 Of The All Time Best Motivational Sports Quotes That Will Help You Start Your Day Off Right

“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, keepinspiring.me

“The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can…”

— Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa, amazon.com

“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.”

— Muhammad Ali, en.wikipedia.org

“The only way to prove that you’re a good sport is to lose.”

— Ernie Banks, amazon.com

“When you’ve got something to prove, there’s nothing greater than a challenge.”

— Terry Bradshaw, amazon.com

“Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second.”

— William James, amazon.com

“Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off of the goal.”

— Vince Lombardi, vincelombardi.com

“Winning is a habit. Watch your thoughts, they become your beliefs. Watch your beliefs, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your habits. Watch your habits, they become your character”

— Vince Lombardi, vincelombardi.com

“Make sure when anyone tackles you he remembers how much it hurts.”

— Jim Brown, amazon.com

“'We bow down before no man.'”

— Spartan Aphorism, ancientgreekbattles.net

“I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot... and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why... I succeed.”

— Michael Jordan, amazon.com

“What distinguishes a great player is his presence. When he goes on to the court, his presence dominates the atmosphere.”

— Bill Russell, amazon.com

“There is no pressure when you are making a dream come true.”

— Neymar Santos, amazon.com

“Victory is fleeting. Losing is forever.”

— Billie Jean King, amazon.com

“It's hard to beat a person who never gives up.’”

— Babe Ruth, amazon.com

“What you feel doesn’t matter in the end; it’s what you do that makes you brave.”

— Andre Agassi, amazon.com

“The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.”

— Martina Navratilova, amazon.com

“I just hate losing and that gives you an extra determination to work harder.”

— Wayne Rooney, successstory.com

“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.’”

— Babe Ruth, amazon.com

“Going to the gym is great for your body, but it's also great for your mind.”

— Rory McIlroy, google.com

“Follow your dreams. If you have a goal, and you want to achieve it, then work hard and do everything you can to get there, and one day it will come true.”

— Lindsey Vonn, arcticarace.com

“It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.”

— Jackie Joyner-Kersee quotes, amazon.com

“Because I don't want chumps, I don't want pushovers, and if you're a chump and a pushover, I will run over you.”

— Kobe Bryant, espn.com

“We go out there, we play the game and leave it at that.”

— Kobe Bryant, espn.com

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

— Evander Holyfield, amazon.com

“It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up.”

— Vince Lombardi, mirror.co.uk

“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, keepinspiring.me

“There may be people that have more talent than you, but theres no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.”

— Derek Jeter, keepinspiring.me

“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, keepinspiring.me

“To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are”

— Gary Mack, amazon.com