“Part of the beauty and much of the moral seriousness of sport derives from the severe justice of strenuous play in a circumscribed universe of rules that protect the integrity of competition. Records are worth recording, and worth striving to surpass, because they serve as benchmarks of excellence achieved under the pressure of competition.” PlayUniverseSportsJusticeMoralRecordsIntegrityProtectPressureCompetitionExcellenceStriveSevereSeriousness Book:With a Happy Eye, But...: America and the World, 1997--2002 Source: With a Happy Eye, But...: America and the World, 1997--2002
“A refined ability to learn from failure and to grow through losses is necessary to achieve excellence in any human endeavor.” HumansGrowsSportsLossAbilityAchieveExcellenceMotivational SportsEndeavorRefinedLearning From Failure Author:Terry Orlick
“Nobody hands you excellence on a silver platter. You earn it through planning, preparing, and persisting in the face of all obstacles.” HandsFacesSportsExcellenceObstaclesPlanningSilverMotivational SportsPreparingSilver Platter Author:Terry Orlick
“What must it be like to live in Rush Limbaughs world? A world where when anyone other than conservative, white men attempts to do anything or enter any profession, be it business, politics, art or sports, the only reason theyre allowed entry or, incredibly, attain excellence is because the standard was lowered. Be they liberals, people of color, women, the poor or anyone with an accent.... Edgy, controversial, brilliant. What a way to shake up intelligent sports commentary. Hitler would have killed in talk radio. He was edgy, too.” PeopleMenWorldWayArtReasonSportsWhitePoorColorStandardsIntelligentExcellenceConservativeRadioProfessionBrilliantShakesAccentsWhite ManControversialEntryCommentaryEdgyTalk Radio Author:Nancy Giles
“We have not made cricket and football [soccer] professional because of any astonishing avarice or new vulgarity. We have made them professional because we would have them perfect. We have dedicated men to them as to some god of inhuman excellence. We care more for football than for the fun of playing football.” MenMadeCareFunSportsPerfectFootballExcellenceSoccerDedicatedCricketAstonishingAvariceInhumanVulgarityPlaying Football Author:Gilbert K. Chesterton
“True success is one of the greatest needs. Success is not something you stumble onto or come to by accident. It is something you must sincerely prepare for. Take a good look at successes, and you'll see he same consistent qualities all the time - qualities of one's character that make one strive for a goal with a standard of unmatched excellence.” NeedsLooksCharacterSuccessSportsGoalQualityTrainingStandardsExcellenceStriveAccidentsPreparationConsistentLooking GoodSincerelyTrue Success Author:Reggie Jackson
“It's not nuclear physics. You always remember that. But if you write about sports long enough, you're constantly coming back to the point that something buoys people; something makes you feel better for having been there. Something of value is at work there...Something is hallowed here. I think that something is excellence.” PeopleIfsThinkingFeelsWritingLongEnoughRememberValuesSportsExcellenceNuclearPhysicsFeel BetterComing BackBuoysNuclear Physics Author:Tom Callahan
“Parents have to understand, that even if their child isn't showing athletic excellence in a certain sport, they still need to be involved. They don't need to be involved in a military type of setting, they just need to get out and play and enjoy themselves and find it themselves.” IfsNeedsChildrenStillsPlayCertainSportsParentEnjoyMilitaryTypeInvolvedExcellenceSettingSettingsAthletic Author:Allyson Felix