Sports Winning Quotes & Sayings

I think women have brought a lot of life back to the sport-first, because a lot of people doubted women could actually do it well. Two, part of it is that old fascination some people have in watching athletes risk injury to win. — Stacy Dragila

Winning is a great deodorant. — John Madden

I don't plan on being disappointed. We plan on being really good, and obviously we plan on winning. — Gregg Troy

There is something about Game 7 that there's a memory there for you for sure. You want to be a coach or a manager or a player or a goaltender that gets it done, because to me, that's all part of sports. That's what you dream about when you're a little kid - scoring the winning goal. — Mike Babcock

I know that God is working through me within this sport. I know He's put me here for a purpose and it's not just to win medals. Winning is great and hopefully it gives me a platform to spread His love and spread His Word, but at the end of the day, I'm called to do what He wants me to do. — Elana Meyers

I started writing stories in sixth grade. But writing wasn't cool, like being good at sports, or being part of the in crowd, or winning fights on the playground. — Rodman Philbrick

Never let anyone tell you sports doesn't matter. Never let them tell you it's all about the wins, the losses and the stats. Sports is so much more than that. — Rick Reilly

Athletes are born winners, there not born loosers, and the sooner you understand this, the faster you can take on a winning attitude and become sucessful in life. — Charles R. Sledge Jr.

The best kids are going to become the best. But the best thing about it is that you're going to learn lessons in playing those sports about winning and losing and teamwork and teammates and arguments and everything else that are going to affect you positively for the rest of your life. — Carl Lewis

I am delighted to have you play football. I believe in rough, manly sports. But I do not believe in them if they degenerate into the sole end of any one's existence. I don't want you to sacrifice standing well in your studies to any over-athleticism; and I need not tell you that character counts for a great deal more than either intellect or body in winning success in life. Athletic proficiency is a mighty good servant, and like so many other good servants, a mighty bad master. — Theodore Roosevelt

Don't let winning make you soft. Don't let losing make you quit. Don't let your teammates down in any situation. — Larry Bird

If you sacrifice early, you'll win late. — Charles Haley

The most important thing about winning is believing that you can win no matter who you are playing. — Lawrence Dallaglio

I found out that if you are going to win games, you had better be ready to adapt. — Scotty Bowman

I've been looking at companies that are on a positive path vs. a negative path and I've come to use the language of sports, winning streaks and losing streaks. — Rosabeth Moss Kanter

I may win and I may lose, but I will never be defeated — Emmitt Smith

The mind is absolutely instrumental in achieving results, even for athletes. Sports psychology is a very small part, but it's extremely important when you're winning and losing races by hundredths and even thousandths of a second. — Michael Johnson

Beliavsky told me that, when he scolded Misha for giving to the Sports Committee almost all of his prize of several thousand dollars for winning the World Blitz Championship in Saint John, Misha simply replied: 'Well, they asked me for it and I gave it to them. — Genna Sosonko

Winning has always meant much to me, but winning friends has meant the most. — Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Life is too precious to be a spectator sport. We are no longer merely fans, rooting for the winning team. We are the team. We are the grown-ups. Whatever you believe is true, now is the time to give your respectful, inquisitive, and compassionate self to it. — Vicki Robin

The thing I learned when I was playing was that your best way of winning was to make it difficult for the other team to score in the last three innings. — Tony La Russa

I believe you can do 99 percent of the things right but not possess a positive winning attitude, and you will fail. — Arthur L. Williams Jr.

I never got into MMA to be famous, I got into it to compete and pursue athletic aspirations. They were my pure intentions. I came from a true sport, an Olympic background, winning multiple national, international and Olympic medals. So I entered MMA as a sport. — Matt Lindland

In sports, you simply aren't considered a real champion until you have defended your title successfully. Winning it once can be a fluke; winning it twice proves you are the best. — Althea Gibson

I much preferred winning to thinking and I didn't like losing at all. — Aleksandar Hemon

We have the misconception that competitiveness means winning at all costs, but that's not what competition is. Competition is just doing your best and not giving up. We all face a moment in a race or in a competition in which we want to give up. We can either give in and not keep pushing, or we can charge forward and work through it. — Lisa Rainsberger

I don't have any ideas; my coaches have them. I just pass the ideas on and referee the arguments. — Bear Bryant

Why did I want to win? because I didn't want to lose! — Max Schmeling

Any sport you're going to do, you're going to lose more than you win. People don't realize how hard it is to be an athlete. It's difficult. — Diandra Asbaty

If you can't win, make the one ahead of you break the record. — John McKeithen

There's one thing I don't ever think about: losing ... Instead, I think about how I'm going to win, and how I can do it the quickest way. — Joe Frazier

Football games are generally won by the boys with the greatest desire. — Bear Bryant

Winning isn't everything, but playing and competing and striving and going through things can be a lot of fun and really important. As long as you're doing it in a way that's healthy, sports can be an incredible opportunity. — Andrew Shue

The team that keeps winning is not the most talented but the most hard-working. — Zoltan Andrejkovics

In the end, the game comes down to one thing: man against man. May the best man win. — Sam Huff

In whatever sport of field of endeavor you are interested, you should do whatever is necessary to compliment your God-given talent with proper mental preparation so as to do "the best you can." The criterion should be to fully exploit your potential rather than to win at any cost. What more could anyone ever ask of you than to be the best you possibly can? — Bob Cousy

The individual, by means of the discipline imposed on him by sport, not only plays and finds relaxation from the various compulsions to which he is subjected, but without knowing it trains himself for new compulsions ... Training in sports makes of the individual an efficient piece of apparatus which is henceforth unacquainted with anything but the harsh joys of exploiting his body and winning. — Jacques Ellul

Doubters don't win, winners don't doubt. — Denis Waitley

We're talking about the Olympics. We're talking about trying to win the gold medal. All of these things can be overwhelming. But regardless of whether I win a gold medal or never compete again, I just have to trust that God has a plan for my life and I'm called to be His representative through the sport and outside of the sport. — Elana Meyers

1. Stress improvement, not perfection (or winning). 2. Don't take yourself too seriously; laugh at yourself and have fun. 3. Set attainable goals; reach them and then set higher ones. 4. Be positive, walk tall, smile often, don't complain or procrastinate. 5. Prepare purposely, but don't overtrain. 6. Remember- Sports is a game and meant to be enjoyable. — Dick Gould

To go into a competition and not strive to win is to be a dishonest competitor. — Michael Novak

One shouldn't be afraid to lose; this is sport. One day you win; another day you lose. Of course, everyone wants to be the best. This is normal. This is what sport is about. This is why I love it. — Oksana Baiul

Being strong is not how hard you hit but its as hard you can get hit and keep going that is how winning is done. — Rocky

I had a clear vision of myself winning the Mr. Universe contest. It was a very spiritual thing, in a way, because I had such faith in the route, the path, that there was never a question in my mind that I would make it. — Arnold Schwarzenegger

It is better to win ten times 1-0 than to win once 10-0. — Vahid Halilhodzic

If you do what you did yesterday you'll be beaten. If you do today what others are doing you'll be competitive. To win you much be doing today what others will be doing tomorrow. — Robert De Castella

Mentally practice two or three times each week for about 10 to 15 minutes per rehearsal. Select a specific sports skill to further develop, or work your way though different scenarios, incorporating various game-ending situations. Examples include meeting your marathon goal time, striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth, or making the game-winning shot as the final buzzer is sounding. Mental practice sessions that are shorter in length are also beneficial. Good times include during any downtime in your schedule, the night before a competition, as an element of your pregame routine, and especially as part of a preshot routine. — Jim Afremow

It's the attitude of the players, not their skills, that is the biggest factor in determining whether you win or lose. — Harry Sinden

Onstage I'm always different than offstage. I can be very friendly offstage, but onstage I will pull one trick after another on my competition to wipe him out, you know-because it's my living and I have to win. Franco is my best friend, but I will do as much as I can to make him look bad and make me look good. — Arnold Schwarzenegger

Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there. — Bo Jackson

Let's define a Crapitalist: A well-connected friend of the powers that be who scores big bucks at taxpayer expense. From bagging millions in tax dollars for phony "green energy" companies that go bust, to vacuuming public coffers to build glitzy sports stadiums, to utilizing little-known tax credit loopholes to loot $1.5 billion a year for Hollywood movies - Crapitalists know how to use every trick to enrich themselves at taxpayer expense. Rather than playing and winning in the rough-and-tumble world of business competition, Crapitalists use government to rig the game in their favor and leave you and me - the taxpayers - holding the bill. These corporate sissies know their ideas suck, so they try to stack the deck to privatize their profits and socialize their losses.
And there's the rub: crony capitalism is socialism's Trojan horse. — Jason Mattera

You've always got to be aware of why you don't win; otherwise you'll keep losing. Every mistake is a learning experience and, hopefully, you won't make the same mistake again. — Layne Beachley

Two weeks ago, I was in a fantastic situation, winning at Roland Garros. Now, losing in the first round, it's tough. The tour continues. Life continues. This is a sport of victories, not a sport of losses. Nobody remembers the losses. I don't want to remember the loss. — Rafael Nadal

I've been in Philadelphia 10 years, man. I knew it was going to be a challenge, mentally. I always thought life would come to an end if I ever left Philadelphia. And I feel like a newborn. Being in Denver it's just a better situation for me. And I'm just happy that I feel like I got an opportunity where I can win basketball games here. — Allen Iverson

One day the factory sports coach, who was very strict, pointed at four boys, including me, and ordered us to run in a race. I protested that I was weak and not fit to run, but the coach sent me for a physical examination and the doctor said that I was perfectly well. So I had to run, and when I got started I felt I wanted to win. But I only came in second. That was the way it started. — Emil Zatopek

You learn to accept defeat graciously in golf. Unlike other sports, the game itself is a constant opponent. It never stops. A golfer is fortunate to win a few times. We spend our whole lives trying to conquer something, and we lose a lot more than we win. — Ben Crenshaw

I began these clinics because I want to share my years of experience in around the ring, in addition to my proven winning methods. I have seen the good and the bad. I have learned valuable lessons, which I want to pass along to those truly interested in the sport. — Emanuel Steward

While the (America's) Cup is yachting's Holy Grail, it has also come to represent the ultimate test in 'the game of life.' Just as in life, success demands commitment and commitment demands a positive winning attitude. I told all the guys who came into our Cup campaign that if they were going to make the grade they needed three essential ingredients: attitude, attitude and attitude. I wanted commitment to the commitment. When they finally made the crew, some of them joked that they ought to be committed for their commitment to the commitment. — Dennis Conner

A few minutes ago, I had a hard time getting through the lobby because of all the people. After today, that won't be happening. — Bear Bryant

When you're winning - you don't need any friends. When you're losing - you don't have any friends anyway. — Woody Hayes

Passion is a huge prerequisite to winning. It makes you willing to jump through hoops, go through all the ups and downs and everything in between to reach your goal. — Kerri Walsh

It is my goal to win every time I play. But on the other hand, I also seek a balance of compassion and respect for the other players. I understand that everyone goes through difficult times, either mentally or physically, to cope with their life, to live the sport. — Novak Djokovic

If somebody asks me whether I'd rather sink the winning putt in the Ryder Cup or win a major, it's the major every day. World championship or Ryder Cup? Win a world championship. At the end of the day you're going to be remembered for what you achieve in an individual sport. — Rory McIlroy

You can't win all the time. There are guys out there who are better than you. — Yogi Berra

I love winning and any team I'm on, I expect to win. — Landon Donovan

There is no getting around the fact that the moment you are at your very best is the moment you begin to become worse and worse. Others will come along who can run faster, jump higher, hit harder, and you will be forgotten. Your winning moment is dated to die. — Charlie Higson

It's funny, you can get over the win pretty quick and get ready for the next opponent. When you lose, it just eats at you ... What could we have done? What should I have done? All those things. Just part of playing professional sports and sports in general. — Tony Romo

Success isn't winning every time. A lot of different factors go into every race, and you can't control all of them. Success means doing as excellent a job as you can on that particular day. The people I admire most aren't necessarily the most wonderful athletes. I admire the ones who keep coming back and doing it, time after time. — Aimee Mullins

If you make it into an Olympic team, you're good; if you make it into an Olympic final, you're great; and if you win an Olympic medal you're a freak. — Raelene Boyle

I think competing is more important than winning. There have been a lot of times when I've teed it up and I didn't win but I felt like I competed. I felt like this was not my day, but I never gave up, and I tried on every shot, and then next week I'd go get them. — Juli Inkster

Essentially, I am a dreamer. I've dreamed all my life. When I started, I dreamed I'd be Champion because it is a sport that is all about the people who win the most, and I have a fear of not winning. — Tony McCoy

Certainly we're not satisfied with just winning games. We've been playing some pretty good hockey, but we think we can play much better. — Mario Lemieux

When it comes to anything that's social, whether it's your family, your school, your community, your business or your country, winning is a team sport. — William J. Clinton

Of all the things in sports, getting a sack is one of the hardest things to do. It's like a last-second, game-winning shot in the NBA. A guy hits the last-second shot, and the fans scream. For us (defensive ends), the sack is everything. It's hard to get there. But once you do, there's nothing like it. — Dwight Freeney

Most coaches study the films when they lose. I study them when we win -to see if I can figure out what I did right — Bear Bryant

If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score? — Vince Lombardi

I can tell you one thing. I've done this my way. I don't have anybody to blame for this win but me, and I love it. — John Daly

You play to win the game ... Hello. You play to win the game. — Herman Edwards

Yankee caps pop up all over the world, not as a statement of loyalty to that team, but as a symbol of - what? Winning 27 so-called World Series? Much of the world doesn't even play that sport. — George Vecsey

The will to win is worthless if you don't get paid for it. — Reggie Jackson

Winning is about having the whole team on the same page. — Bill Walton

It's a nice bonus but, you know, I have to pay taxes too. (after winning the Grand Slam Cup. — Venus Williams

And yet, winning is like a welcome drink going down your throat, like a beautiful embrace. It is brilliant while it lasts but it isn't forever. The high eventually melts away and the journey of life begins afresh. The truly remarkable among us visit these highs periodically; winning then becomes a journey, a graph where each point is crucial but is in reality merely part of a larger curve. — Harsha Bhogle

My job is to call attention to the things that I think are the difference between winning and losing. If I can't do that then I have failed as a coach. — Bill Parcells

I never took a position we were going to be a good ball club. I took the position we were going to be a winning ball club. — Red Auerbach

All I know is I have a job here as long as I win. — Toe Blake

I play chess about four hours a day in training camp. You have to decide what move to use, or what combination of moves. I think less when I box because the reaction time is a lot quicker, but some people call me the chess boxer because they say I think too much in the ring. I take my time and they don't see the action they want. Some boxers just go in there and just throw punches and hope to win ... — Lennox Lewis

One of the things that separates climbing from other sports is how independent and personal it is. With most sports, you either win or lose, but climbing is about your own personal experience. — Chris Sharma

Pressure bursts pipes. I thank God for giving me peace of mind to overcome pressure. The difference between winning and losing is when pressure hits. — Evander Holyfield

So what if I never win my fifth gold medal; It's only one end of the string. It's competing that matters. It's proving that there is a place for guys like me in sports. It's a persona challenge to extend myself. — Al Oerter

I know If I score we're going to win the match. — Cristiano Ronaldo

Both sexes like the exercise and challenge of sports, but for men it's also a basic display behavior for impressing and winning a mate. — Helen Fisher

When I was a young fellow I was knocked down plenty. I wanted to stay down, but I couldn't. I had to collect the two dollars for winning or go hungry. I had to get up. I was one of those hungry fighters. You could have hit me on the chin with a sledgehammer for five dollars. When you haven't eaten for two days you'll understand. — Jack Dempsey

The integrity and self-esteem gained from winning the battle against extremity are the richest treasures in my life — Diana Nyad

There should be a new way to record standings in this league; one column for wins, one for losses and one for gifts. — Gene Mauch

We live in a reward-centered society. When I was a child, my father used to say, "It's not whether you win or lose but how well you play the game." I used to think that was about sports, but as an adult, I realize what I create, do, etc., is more important than winning a prize. — Renee Lawless

To win it all, winners have to be obsessive about the fundamentals and doing the little things right. — Don Meyer

[Lizzie Bennington to a reporter who has asked for her opinion about Jack Archer's celebrated thighs.] When you come back from a set down and bring the match to a final set tiebreak and are a point away from winning the match, only to have what looks like an extremely fit player call a time out because of a cramp and then watch that player sit back and casually converse and laugh while you do your best to keep your mental focus and your body moving so you don't grow cold and cramp yourself, I hardly think you'd concern yourself with his burgeoning manhood, let alone his thighs! — A.G. Starling

I think you've got to pay the price for anything that's worthwhile, and success is paying the price. You've got to pay the price to win, you've got to pay the price to stay on top, and you 've got to pay the price to get there. — Vince Lombardi

Winning is euphoric, but it lasts a short time. You've got to lap it up, then move on to the next thing. I think I've kept winning because I haven't attached myself to past successes. — Stephanie Gilmore