Hey, here’s an amusing depiction of a golfer . . .
John D. Rockefeller, by Alexander Calder (Wire and dime, 1926–1930). Art Institute Chicago, (Chicago, IL).
For those who agree that golf is a sport, welcome aboard! And for the rest of us, Let’s Review...
Actually, since our first two rounds may have been akin to extricating a Titleist Pro from a thick sand trap, perhaps for this round we should attempt something a bit less taxing. So, how about this exercise I often assign as a Day 1 classroom icebreaker:
Think of a sports-related quote you’ve heard during your lifetime that was inspirational, instructive or influential.
Behind this is a deeper purpose: not simply to get students to converse, but to also ponder how we get conditioned into sporting logic—or else how certain values are passed through sport into everyday social activity. A process that scholars of society label “socialization.”
But since I’ve promised to refrain from heavy lifting this round, let’s just think in terms of sundry “wisdom” that has been conveyed to us from parents and coaches and play-by-play announcers as we’ve gone through our sporting paces—with or without any lasting social effect.
You know: aphorisms, adages, clever turns of phrase, essential life lessons, purported truisms—even facile moralizations. From frivolous to mundane to profound—anything and all.
What’ve you got?
Regular Subscribers—oh, by the way, don’t neglect to pop the button below and sign up for the regular column—can enter their favorite, tried-and-true sport-ism in the Comment box below.
As you do, let fellow readers know:
Who said it to you;
In what context;
In what ways it resonated—or perhaps repelled—you;
How, if at all, you were able to apply it;
Whether there were other (i.e. non-sports) situations in which you found it applicable—and, if so, which ones?
As for my students, you probably wouldn’t be surprised by their choices—a collection of incantations you likely were similarly weaned on. For instance:
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” (Joseph P. Kennedy)
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” (Wayne Gretzky)
“The name in the front of the shirt is more important than the one on the back.” (Anonymous)
“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” (Henry Russell "Red" Sanders)
“Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” (Vince Lombardi)
“No pain, no gain.” (Anonymous)
Frankly, when I was coaching, I disagreed with more than one of those.
For instance, it’s fine when The Great One encourages profligacy with the puck—for himself! Wayne-o was very likely going to find the net with his next shot. For me, though, or any of the many unremarkable players I coached back in the day, there were times where we could easily miss 100% of every shot we DID take! Hence, when players quoted Gretzky back to me after another of their shots clanged off the rim, I was more likely to retort: “was that really the best available option?”
And that one about “no pain, no gain”? Well, that pain being referenced is actually the body shouting out: “STOP! This isn’t good! If you keep doing that something really bad is gonna happen! . . . I’M SERIOUS HERE!”
So, no. Perhaps it’s better to temper the amount of trauma one elects to inflict on their throbbing tissue and sagging bones. Sure, sport is often about disciplining the body and learning to push through barriers, but if pain is involved, that may actually end up doing longer-term harm that could easily countermand whatever short-term success one might obtain.1
After the getting-to-know-you portion of this exercise is done, I usually ask students to perform an Internet search, and they return with statements that are often more academic than aphoristic; things like:
“Sports is a Microcosm of Society.” (Billy Jean King)
OR
“Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.” (George F. Will)
A couple of enterprising types might capture some slogans adorning arenas. For instance:
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffcead8d4-e9b8-457c-b77a-fd32c0500a2f_760x758.png)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b411855-4b7b-455f-a2fa-8f89d335fba5_754x752.png)
Accurate enough, sure . . . but a bit snooze-worthy, wouldn’t you concur?
To which I counter: “y’all need something more pithy. Not to mention elegant. A turn of phrase that carries a message capable of capturing the sporting moment; the challenge before an athlete or team. A lesson that helps illuminate and steer us onward.”
Something like:
“A surplus of effort could overcome a deficit of confidence.” (Sonia Sotomayor)
There you go! Or:
“If you are afraid of failure, you don’t deserve to be successful.” (Charles Barkley)
I like that! Or perhaps:
“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” (Vince Lombardi)
Clever. Or even:
“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it.” (H.E. Luccock)
After that, someone will push themselves to locate something more inspirational or thought-worthy. Something like: “Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success” (Anonymous).
Then I know that we are on the right track.
For my part, when I coached, I was partial to this particular (John) Woodenism: “Be quick, but don’t hurry”—as my players were invariably rising for a layup without actually maintaining possession of the ball; or they were rushing a shot because of a hard close-out from a defender; or they were beginning to drive before the screener got set, leading to a turnover (etcetera). In short: players were ever-getting far ahead of themselves, rather than letting the moment come to them, in a natural progression.
It also served as a pretty fine philosophy in other aspects of life—like driving a car, eating, having sex, counting money at checkout, or writing Substack posts.
Along those lines, I have been an adherent of framing all motivated or meaningful human action—not just teaching classes or greeting the dog-walker on their daily stroll, but (especially) sporting endeavors.
Hence, I got into the habit of bookending team meetings and practices with heady quotes that, while not always qualifying as aphorisms, would (hopefully) get my group thinking about stuff that was relevant to other (more significant, non-sports) aspects of their lives.
And since I have amassed, like, 924 of them, it would make sense for me to provide a few here and reserve the rest for another Round. Some other time when we might yearn for a time-out.
Among my faves include these unattributed bon mots:
“Excellence is not being the best; it is doing your best.”
“With each choice you make, you create your life.”
“The person who said they never had a chance, never took one.”
“Dream your wildest dreams and you will live a wild life.”
After two and a half Rounds, you’ve probably divined that I’m partial to artists of many stripes; so, spicing up my repertoire is:
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” (Oscar Wilde)
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
“There are three people in yourself: Who people think you are, who you think you are, and who you really are. (William Shakespeare)
When it comes to wordsmiths, Mark Twain can be depended on for at least a pair (naturally). So, how about:
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” (Mark Twain)
And:
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” (Mark Twain)
Upon Further Review . . . who said people have grown smarter over the centuries?
Although, to be fair, some valuable insight can be gleaned from our contemporaries—current or recently departed. For example:
“You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you do not try.” (Beverly Sills)
“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” (Dolly Parton)
“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” (Lucille Ball)
Hey! . . . I could do this all day!
Humor, of course, has a special power to lift the darkest shroud and also connect us in moments of greatest duress. Which is why I call on expressions that can coax a smile, ease tension and (hopefully) bind the group.
Some useful props that have worked during fraught practices or after disappointing games, include:
“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them . . . well, I have others.” (Groucho Marx)
“Just when I discovered the meaning of life, they changed it.” (George Carlin)
“The risk I took was calculated, but man . . . am I bad at math.” (Unattributed Internet meme)
And just to break the monotony of repetitive motion, these are always good for a mind-cleanse:
“A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.” (Steve Martin)
“Do crabs think we walk sideways?” (Bill Murray)
“I intend to live forever. So far, so good.” (Steven Wright)
Speaking of humorists, there should be a special podium reserved just for Will Rogers. A couple of his observations that have worked during practice or after certain games include:
“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
“Things will get better—despite our efforts to improve them.”
This one has surfaced a time or two during one-on-one player consults:
“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”
And this one is some of the sagest advice you’ll ever hear from anyone ever:
“Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”
That one really comes in handy when players are busy running one another down behind each other’s backs!
Since folks tend to be impressed by other folks who have titles and/or have attained a certain status in history, some of my catalogue comes from political leaders. Among my “go-to”s include:
“I am a great believer in luck, and I find that the harder I work the more luck I have.” (Thomas Jefferson)
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” (Winston Churchill)
“The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.” (Robert F. Kennedy)
“Knowing what must be done does away with fear.” (Rosa Parks)
And, when moments appear dire, you might consider reciting either of these:
“Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.” (Alexander the Great)
“Whatever you are, be a good one.” (Abraham Lincoln)
Oh, and pro tip: these expressions work especially well, I have found, as tension-relievers—especially when intoned in my best ironic voice.
Also, one can’t go wrong by tossing in a couple of Roosevelts—especially when the subject turns to erring:
“The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.” (Theodore Roosevelt)
And:
“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)
You likely know from perusing any of the thousands of motivational books available on Amazon that business leaders have authored a plethora of inspirational quotes—often pertaining to effort, success and failure. Unsurprisingly (and however you may feel about him), Thomas Edison authored a number of such sayings, including:
“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
“Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.”
“Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.”
And perhaps his most astute:
“We have but two ears and one mouth so that we may listen twice as much as we speak.”
Edison didn’t corner the market, though. A number of titans of industry have felt they had something valuable to pass on to subsequent generations. (Huh!)
Henry Ford, for instance wrote: “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
Walt Disney is purported to have said, “The difference in winning and losing is most often, not quitting.”
And Warren Buffet has offered this gem: “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone (else) planted a tree a long time ago.”
While those who preach practicality, perspicacity and efficiency have succeeded in catching the public ear, it probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that philosophers have captured a corner of my mind.
And since no infraction has yet been invented that stipulates athletes shouldn’t entertain “deep thoughts,” I have uttered these pearls on occasion:
“Be as you wish to seem.” (Socrates)
“(Humans) acquire particular quality by constantly acting in a particular way.” (Aristotle)
“Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.” (Aristotle)
“If we are to achieve results never before accomplished, we must expect to employ methods never before attempted.” (Francis Bacon)
“Life is a pilgrimage from nowhere to somewhere. And between these two Wheres, one finds the Why and learns the How.” (Adapted from Osho/Rajneesh)
“For true success ask yourself these four questions: Why? Why not? Why not me? Why not now?” (James Allen)
And, (continuing to work with “w”s) . . . while we’re on the subject of philosophers, an entire section of my aphorism store is reserved for Lao Tzu. A number of his observations, it turns out, seem to have relevance in sporting contexts; including:
“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.”
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”
“New Beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.”
And in an observation worthy of Yogi Berra, Lao Tzu also offered: “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”
Finally (the most baroque—but apt—of all):
“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”
Believe me: that’s quite a mouthful for sweaty, fatigued athletes to endure on a chilly November night, but I’ve always thought that the punchline delivers a worthy payoff.
Having spent so much time in Japan, it would be a surprise if I hadn’t internalized a few of their venerated expressions. See if you agree that the following have applications in one or another sporting context:
“One who chases after two hares won’t catch even one.”
“Beginning is easy; continuing is hard.”
“Fall down seven times, stand up eight.”
“We learn little from victory, much from defeat.”
“Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.”
“The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.”
“If you understand everything you must be misinformed.”
“Boasting begins where wisdom stops.”
“One kind word can warm three winter months.”
Arriving at conclusion, I turn the mirror on myself, and inquire: what would my life amount to if I also wasn’t making some contribution to the collective enterprise?
In answer I offer three I’ve managed to coin myself:
“If you think it’s impossible today, then how can you possibly achieve it tomorrow?”
“Yesterday is a memory. Tomorrow is a dream. Today is the truth.”
And the one I always uttered to my son as he exited the car every morning before school:
“Today is the only day you can live this day, so live it to its fullest!”
Now, how about you?
Upon Further Review . . . are there certain sayings that have arisen in your sporting experience? If so, I’d be honored if you shared them in the Comments, below.
And (yes, here comes the concluding plug) . . . if you’ve enjoyed this post and are not yet a subscriber, please click on the button below.
Until our next Review . . .
I do have a story to share, from the good-ole glory days, when pain (inflicted on my charges) actually DID lead to gain (in the form of a championship). But we can leave that for another Round—if only because, aside from being an unflattering anecdote, it runs counter to the point being advanced here!