Sportsmanship Sayings and Quotes

Sports bring out our competitive nature, but winning isn’t everything. Win or lose, having good sportsmanship can go a long way. No one wants to engage with a sore loser or someone who gloats. Play at your best with the collection of wise and insightful good sportsmanship quotes below.

One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it. Knute Rockne
I think sportsmanship is knowing that it is a game, that we are only as a good as our opponents, and whether you win or lose, to always give 100 percent. Sue Wicks
I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying. Michael Jordan
Sportsmanship for me is when a guy walks off the court and you really can't tell whether he won or lost, when he carries himself with pride either way. Jim Courier
If you spend a lot of time on sportsmanship, you're going to spend a lot of time losing. Glenn Dobbs
I would prefer even to lose with honor than to win by cheating. Sophocles
The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart. Robert Green Ingersoll
True sportsmanship is excellence in motion! Lorii Myers
It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling. Mark Twain
Sometimes I think sportsmanship is a little bit forgotten in place of the individual attention. Cal Ripken, Jr.
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
Champions keep playing until they get it right. Billie Jean King
It does not matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up. Vince Lombardi
To play is in the mind. To win is in the heart. Jennifer McCombs
Victory is in the quality of the competition, not just the final score. Mike Marshall
Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation.Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are. John Wooden
I never thought about losing, but now that it's happened, the only thing is to do it right. Muhammad Ali
Every game, you have so many people watching you. You can show good sportsmanship by helping other players up, and not talking back to coaches and referees. Kelly Fry
Sportsmanship is not just about being nice. It is much more important than that. It's about realizing that you could not compete without an opponent and that she has the same goals as you. Stephanie Deibler
When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less. Paul Brown
Never let a win get to your head, or a loss to your heart. Chuck D
Win as if you were used to it, lose as if you enjoyed it for a change. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sportsmanship, next to the Church, is the greatest teacher of morals. Herbert Hoover
Sportsmanship is making sure you have respect for the guy you're playing across from. Warren Moon
There is value in any experience that exercises those ethical restraints collectively called sportsmanship. Aldo Leopold
Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is. Vince Lombardi
Don't praise your own good shots. Leave that function to your partner who, if a good sport, will not be slow in performing it. Harry Vardon
No matter if you win or lose, the most important thing in life is to enjoy what you have. Dong Dong
What winning is to me is not giving up, is no matter what's thrown at me, I can take it. And I can keep going. Patrick Swayze
Losing is no disgrace if you've given your best. Jim Palmer