American Sports Figure Quotes

On his Caucasian, Black American, American Indian, Thai, and Chinese ancestry:

Growing up, I came up with this name: I'm a "Cablinasian."

He was over at my house every day between fifth grade and eighth grade.

In my opinion, no young player can develop his or her game to its highest potential if he or she rides around the course in a golf cart.

Even before you step up to the ball, have a full battle plan for the hole worked out.

I've seen enough crazy shots to know they happen in the best of families.

I knew that if I kept the pressure on and didn't do anything stupid I would probably win.

I hope that I have accomplished just one thing: that I have been a credit to tennis and my country.

Female athletes are stereotyped by the general population—and usually as homosexuals.

Billie Jean King

Never let up. The more you can win by, the more doubts you put in the other players' minds the next time out.

Some of us are fortunate enough to play championship golf, but this isn't essential in the enjoyment of the game.

Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Golf is like a love affair. If you don't take it seriously, it's no fun. If you do take it seriously, it will break your heart.

Golf puts a man's character on the anvil and his richest qualities—patience, poise, restraint—to the flame.

Golf without Jones would be like France without Paris: leaderless, lightless and lonely.

Herbert Warren Wind

The whole idea of image is so confused. On the one hand, Madison Avenue is worried about the image of the players in a tennis tour. On the other hand, sports events are often sponsored by the makers of junk food, beer, and cigarettes. What's the message when an athlete who works at keeping her body fit is sponsored by a sugar-filled snack that does more harm than good?

Martina Navratilova

It's not my fault Snow didn't have any other options coming out of high school. If going to college gets you a career backup goaltender job, and my route gets you a thousand points and a thousand games, and compare the two contracts, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out whose decision was better.

The first step in building a solid, dependable attitude is to be realistic, not only about your inherent capabilities, but also about how well you are playing to those capabilities on any given day.

The Golf Hall of Fame is full of players with unusual looking swings. Some of the prettiest swings you've ever seen in your life are made on the far end of the public driving range by guys who couldn't break an egg with a baseball bat.

I have been able to hope for the best, expect the worst, and take what comes along. If there has been one fundamental reason for my success, this is it.

You must have a clear mental picture of the correct thing before you can do it successfully.

Alex J. Morrison

Strength and conditioning are the keys to good performance and longevity in gymnastics.

Suzanne Yoculan

The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what it is I have found. Over the last 21 years, I have found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed, sometimes even in my lowest moments, and I've found generosity. You have given me your shoulders to stand on to reach for my dreams, dreams I could never have reached without you.

[German head coach Uwe Krupp] is asking his guys to basically be fire hydrants and they're getting peed on right now.

We have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do [...] We're not just athletes, we're people at the end of the day and sometimes you just have to step back.

On withdrawing from competition at Tokyo Olympics

Everyone works hard when they want to, when they get quick results, when it's convenient to put forth effort. The best work hard when they don't want to, when it's inconvenient to give it that little extra effort... and that extra effort might be just what they need to place them on top.

As a competitive gymnast, my life has always been filled with challenges that would ultimately define my future. From day one, I was taught to be prepared at all costs.

Dominique Moceanu