Famous athletes
and coaches about creativity

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.
John Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010), American basketball player and coach

I figure practice puts your brains in your muscles.
Sam Snead (May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002), American professional golfer

Winning is a habit. Unfortunately so is losing.
Vince Lombardi Jr. (June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970), American football player and coach

Football is like life – it requires perserverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.
Vince Lombardi Jr.

If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride – and never quit, you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.
Paul Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983), American college football player and coach

We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.
Jesse Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980), American track and field athlete

A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.
Ara Parseghian (born May 21, 1923), American former football player

Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.
Yogi Berra (born May 12, 1925), former American Baseball player

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.
Tommy Lasorda (born September 22, 1927), American former baseball player

Sports creates a bond between contemporaries that lasts a lifetime. It also gives your life structure, discipline and a genuine, sincere, pure fulfillment that few other areas of endeavor provide.
Bob Cousy (born August 9, 1928), retired American professional basketball player

The man who has no imagination has no wings.
Muhammad Ali (January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016), American former professional boxer

Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.
Muhammad Ali

Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.
Muhammad Ali

You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.
Jerry West (born May 28, 1938), retired American basketball player

I have always tried to be true to myself, to pick those battles I felt were important. My ultimate responsibility is to myself. I could never be anything else.
Arthur Ashe (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993), American World No. 1 professional tennis player

You have to be able to center yourself, to let all of your emotions go. Don’t ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born April 16, 1947), retired American professional basketball player

When you’re hot, anything can happen.
Jimmy Connors (born September 2, 1952), American tennis player

To succeed…You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.
Tony Dorsett (born April 7, 1954), former American football player

My concentration level blocks out everything. Concentration is why some athletes are better than others. You develop that concentration in training and concentrate in a meet.
Edwin Moses (born August 31, 1955), former American track and field athlete

I just try to concentrate on concentrating.
Martina Navratilova (born October 18, 1956), retired Czech American tennis player and coach

Just go out there and do what you have to do.
Martina Navratilova

I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.
Larry Bird (born December 7, 1956), American former basketball player and coach

If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it.
Ronnie Lott (born May 8, 1959), former American professional football player

Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.
Dean Karnazes (born August 23, 1962), American ultramarathon runner

Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.
Jerry Rice (born October 13, 1962), former American football player

Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.
Bo Jackson (born November 30, 1962), American baseball and football player

I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.
Michael Jordan (born February 17, 1963), American former professional basketball player

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.
Michael Jordan

Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.
Michael Jordan

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
Michael Jordan

Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.
Michael Jordan

Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.
Michael Jordan

I believe greatness is an evolutionary process that changes and evolves era to era.
Michael Jordan

I built my talents on the shoulders of someone else’s talent.
Michael Jordan

I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.
Michael Jordan

Everybody has talent, but ability takes hard work.
Michael Jordan

I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life… and that is why I succeed
Michael Jordan

Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.
Matt Biondi (born October 8, 1965), American former competition swimmer

The Spirit of Sports: The spirit of sports gives each of us who participate an opportunity to be creative. Sports knows no sex, age, race or religion. Sports gives us all the ability to test ourselves mentally, physically and emotionally in a way no other aspect of life can. For many of us who struggle with ‘fitting in’ or our identity – sports gives us our first face of confidence. That first bit of confidence can be a gateway to many other great things!
Dan O’Brien (born July 18, 1966), American athlete

Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.
Gail Devers (born November 19, 1966), American retired three-time Olympic champion in track and field

I’ve always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there’s only a slightest chance.
Michael Schumacher (born 3 January 1969), retired German racing driver

You have to have the mentality of executing your game when you don’t feel like there’s a lot of hope. I think the best feeling is when somebody pushes you to the limit and you dig down a little bit extra. By the same token, you also need a little luck. Sometimes they come together.
Andre Agassi (born April 29, 1970), American retired professional tennis player

I tried to be the leader … that was my aim. But it is important to know how to win and how to lose.
Vitali Klitschko (born July 19, 1971), Ukrainian professional boxer

People power. It has no limits.
Vitali Klitschko

Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do.
Shaquille O’Neal (born March 6, 1972), American retired basketball player

The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking.
Mia Hamm (born March 17, 1972), retired American professional soccer player

Enjoy your sweat because hard work doesn’t guarantee success, but without it you don’t have a chance.
Alex Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), American baseball players

I love the challenge of the game. I love the work. My goal right now is to have a season next year that will make people forget about this one. I’ll use things like this for motivation. I’m pumped. I’m hungry.
Alex Rodriguez

Always follow your dreams, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t be something.
Alex Rodriguez

I’m a terrible singer. I feel lucky to play baseball. You can’t be gifted in everything.
Alex Rodriguez

I don’t know if I even have an aura, man. I just try to win.
Tiger Woods (born December 30, 1975), American professional golfer

I’ve never taken for granted what we’ve had, not for one single game, not one single practice, … I’ve truly been blessed.
Peyton Manning (born March 24, 1976), American football player

If you work hard, it will pay off in the end.
Lindsey Vonn (born October 18, 1984), American alpine ski racer

When you fall down, just get up again.
Lindsey Vonn

Setbacks help you to concentrate.
Lindsey Vonn

I am living a dream I never want to wake up from.
Cristiano Ronaldo (born 5 February 1985), Portuguese footballer

I’ve never tried to hide the fact that it is my intention to become the best.
Cristiano Ronaldo

There is no harm in dreaming of becoming the World’s best player. It’s all about trying to be the best. I will keep working hard to achieve it, but it is within my capabilities.
Cristiano Ronaldo

But I don’t want to be compared to anyone – I’d like to impose my own style of play and do the best for myself and for the club here.
Cristiano Ronaldo

I am not a perfectionist, but I like to feel that things are done well. More important than that, I feel an endless need to learn, to improve, to evolve, not only to please the coach and the fans, but also to feel satisfied with myself. It is my conviction that there are no limits to learning, and that it can never stop, no matter what our age.
Cristiano Ronaldo

I’m focused on going out every day and doing my best.
For me, I’m focused on what I want to do. I know what I need to do to be a champion, so I’m working on it.
Usain Bolt (born August 21, 1986), Jamaican sprinter

I don’t think limits.
Usain Bolt

I’m focused on going out every day and doing my best.
Maria Sharapova (born April 19, 1987), Russian professional tennis player

I have had lots of luck in my career but there has also been a lot of hard work.
Maria Sharapova

If I can create something that allows a woman to feel better – that is the true reward.
Maria Sharapova

Music is a part of my life all the time – on the plane, before matches, driving out to the court.
Maria Sharapova

I look forward to the challenges.
Maria Sharapova

I don’t follow other players or the tournaments they play. I have my own schedule and do my own thing. I never really think, ‘Oh, I want to be or play like so-and-so.’ I just like being myself.
Maria Sharapova

I’m just happy with a ball at my feet. My motivation comes from playing the game I love. If I wasn’t paid to be a professional footballer I would willingly play for nothing.
Lionel Messi (born 24 June 1987), Argentine footballer

You cannot allow your desire to be a winner to be diminished by achieving success before and I believe there is room for improvement in every sportsman.
Lionel Messi

In football as in watchmaking, talent and elegance mean nothing without rigour and precision.
Lionel Messi

We know that we are close to making history.
Lionel Messi