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Competing in sports has taught me that if I'm not willing to give 120 percent, somebody else will.
Sep 30, 2025
Anyone can support a team that is winning - it takes no courage. But to stand behind a team to defend a team when it is down and really needs you, that takes a lot of courage.
NO MAN CAN AVOID BEING BORN AVERAGE, BUT NO MAN HAS TO STAY AVERAGE.
Victory belongs to the most persevering.
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".
You don't play against opponents, you play against the game of basketball.
Luck? Sure. But only after long practice and only with the ability to think under pressure.
Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.
The principle is competing against yourself.
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.
The rewards are going to come, but my happiness is just loving the sport and having fun performing.
Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.
Sports do not build character. They reveal it.
A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.
Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.
Champions keep playing until they get it right.
A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever.
The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.
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.
I've learned that something constructive comes from every defeat.
Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding.
You've got to take the initiative and play your game. In a decisive set, confidence is the difference.
Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like the muscles of the body.
Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.
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.
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 7 years without ever hitting the ball.
Some people say I have attitude - maybe I do...but I think you have to.
The way a team plays as a whole determines its success.
I played seven years without ever hitting the ball.
The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.
The spirit is the true self. The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure.
Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.
It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.
I never felt that I didn't have a chance to win.
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.
Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there.
Each Warrior wants to leave the mark of his will, his signature, on important acts he touches. This is not the voice of ego but of the human spirit, rising up and declaring that it has something to contribute to the solution of the hardest problems, no matter how vexing!
Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.
The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. That's the essence of it.
Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way.
Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.
Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.
Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination.
Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second.
Success is about having, excellence is about being. Success is about having money and fame, but excellence is being the best you can be.
He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.
I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.
Concentration is the ability to think about absolutely nothing when it is absolutely necessary.
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.