Sports Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old sports quotes, sports sayings, and sports proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 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
Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game. Michael Jordan
Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts. Dan Gable
To me, it doesn't matter how good you are. Sport is all about playing and competing. Ian Botham
You can't win unless you learn how to lose. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Sports do not build character. They reveal it. Heywood Broun
If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score? Vince Lombardi
Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting. George Orwell
I am building a fire, and everyday I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match. Mia Hamm
Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records. William Arthur Ward
Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you. Satchel Paige
Just be patient. Let the game come to you. Don't rush. Be quick, but don't hurry. Earl Monroe
Champions keep playing until they get it right. Billie Jean King
Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play. Mike Singletary
Nobody's a natural. You work hard to get good and then work to get better. It's hard to stay on top. Paul Coffey
The only way to prove that you're a good sport is to lose. Ernie Banks
It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up. Vince Lombardi
Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible Frank L. Gaines
I always felt that my greatest asset was not my physical ability, it was my mental ability. Bruce Jenner
A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever. Mary Lou Retton
The five Ss of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit, but the greatest of these is spirit. Ken Doherty
An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head. Emil Zatopek
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
I've learned that something constructive comes from every defeat. Tom Landry
If you can't outplay them, outwork them. Ben Hogan
Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. William James
If at first you don't succeed, you are running about average. M.H. Alderson
Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential. Liane Cardes
Pain is only temporary but victory is forever. Jeremy H.
Winning means you're willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else. Vince Lombardi