10 of the Most Inspirational Sports Quotes That’ll Make You a Better Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is a lot like a sport. To be fair, it wouldn’t be an exciting sport to watch. After all, if you think golf is dull, imagine spending the same four hours watching someone craft a pitch deck or make cold calls. But plenty of the other basic features of sports are there. You’ve got teams of people competing against each other in a market. You’ve got winners. You’ve got losers. You’ve even got a scoreboard of sorts in terms of valuations.
In fact, entrepreneurship is so much like a sport that, when I stumbled across a list of the 100 best sports quotes of all time, I couldn’t help but notice how every quote applies to building companies. And since few things in life are as motivational as a good sports quote from a famous athlete or coach, and since I’m sure plenty of founders in startupland are struggling with motivation right now, I thought I’d take a few minutes to inspire some of you to pick yourself up off the mat, shake it off, and get back in the game because it’s time to dig deep, go the extra mile, and leave it all on the field.
#10
“Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.”
— Mike Singeltary
Let’s get these motivational quotes started right with a reminder that the best part about entrepreneurship is simply getting to be an entrepreneur. Some days will be amazing. Some days will be awful. But, for true entrepreneurs, there’s nothing else in the world they’d rather be doing. Always remember how much you love what you’re doing, and, even if the outcome isn’t always perfect, channel your inner Mike Singeltary and make sure you’re appreciating the opportunity.
#9
“I always tell kids, you have two eyes and one mouth. Keep two open and one closed. You never learn anything if you’re the one talking.”
— Gordie Howe
Sure, the legendary Gordie Howe was probably referring to something about hockey, but he might as well been talking to all the entrepreneurs out there trying to convince people to buy their products.
Stop forcing your products onto people!
Great products are bought, not sold, and the way you build a great product is by listening to people. So learn to shut your mouth because, once you can do that, you’ll finally be able to see what people actually need.
#8
“Competitive sports are played mainly on a five-and-a-half inch court — the space between your ears.”
— Bobby Jones
In both sports and entrepreneurship, the biggest challenge you’ll ever face is the internal struggle to overcome your own mental demons. Whether you’re one of the greatest golfers to ever live, like Bobby Jones, or you’re a first-time founder building a startup in a crowded market, your biggest obstacles are never your competitors. Instead, the hardest things to overcome are yourself, your lack of self awareness, and your own insecurities.
#7
“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”
— Lance Armstrong
Sure, Lance Armstrong is a disgraced athlete, but hew was a competitor through and through. While I wouldn’t recommend him as a role model, you’re going to need the same kind of drive and perseverance to accomplish great things. Just make sure to also keep in mind this next quote.
#6
“It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.”
— Muhammad Ali
No matter how passionate you are about entrepreneurship, try to keep what you’re doing in perspective. At the end of the day, it’s a job. Don’t sacrifice your integrity just to win. After all, as Vince Lombardi said…
#5
“Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.”
— Vince Lombardi
As an entrepreneur, you’ll be tempted to obsess about the outcome. Don’t! The outcome isn’t the thing that will ultimately bring you happiness and personal satisfaction.
Vince Lombardi understood this. He’s someone who won a lot. And, since he won a lot, he knows winning isn’t nearly as satisfying as most people think. You want to win again. And again. And again.
The same thing happens in entrepreneurship. When the best entrepreneurs successfully exit their companies, they don’t feel a wave of satisfaction. Instead, they feel a sense of loss that drives them to launch new companies and start again. They do this because the winning was never what mattered. What mattered was wanting to win.
#4
“I’ll let the racket do the talking.”
— John McEnroe
The best athletes let their success speak for itself. And so do the best entrepreneurs.
Don’t waste time trying to tell everyone how great an entrepreneur you are. Spend your time being a great entrepreneur, and others will notice.
#3
“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.”
— Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth, one of the most successful individual players in the history of baseball, understood that, in a team sport, winning isn’t a one-person job. Sure, he could be great on his own, but if he didn’t have a strong team around him, he wasn’t going to achieve at the highest level of the game.
Entrepreneurship is a team sport, too. To be successful, you have to find great teammates and learn to work well with them.
#2
“Golf and sex are the only things you can enjoy without being good at them!”
— Jimmy Demaret
I’m pretty sure the only reason Jimmy didn’t say there are three you can enjoy without being good at them is because he was too busy doing the first two things to try launching a startup.
#1
“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
Take it from the GOAT: You’ll never become successful at anything — basketball, entrepreneurship, or whatever else you might choose to pursue in life — without failing over and over and over again.
