Great Quotes for Coaches Podcast

Today's quote comes from the poem, "To a Mouse," by the Scottish poet, Robert Burns. The line that I am quoting was made even more famous by John Steinbeck when he titled one of his novels, Of Mice and Men. Most people don't realize that that title came from the following line in the poem: "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." As you hear the explanation of the line, those of you who have read Of Mice and Men might now have a better idea as to why Steinbeck titled his book that. But for us as coaches, this line can have very powerful meaning and help us prepare for those moments for which there is no preparation.

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For more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at [email protected].

Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket.

Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

Today you will actually get two quotes. The first quote is a short 3-word quote that has been the biggest influence in my life for the last 30+ years - "Attitude is Everything." I have lived this quote as kind of a mantra. Even before I first heard the quote in the mid-to-late 1990's, I strongly believed in this concept. I had just not heard it put as succinctly as motivational speaker, Keith Harrell, put it in the talk I heard him give. I loved the quote and his talk so much, I bought his book and his cassette tape (hey, it was the 90's!) right then and there, and I listened to that tape so many times I wore it out. I highly recommend you check them out.
     I am also giving you a bonus quote today, but this one is a LOT longer than just three words. I had actually read this quote sometime prior to seeing Keith Harrell, and I felt that this lengthy quote got at the heart of how I felt about life. It was also something I called upon in my teaching and coaching, and I tried to instill the concepts in this quote into my students and my athletes. The quote is by a man named Charles Swindoll. Here it is:
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church....a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes.”

I hope you like these quotes as much as I do, and I hope you will use them with your teams. They both make excellent team study topics.

Support the show

For more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at [email protected].

Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket.

Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

Thomas Jefferson, our third president of the United States, left a lasting impression on our nation in a variety of ways. But one way was the many different written and spoken lines of his that have lived on to this day. Today's quote is one of my favorites - "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." This one made an impression on me as a young man and as a young teacher and coach. Check out the podcast to see why.

Support the show

For more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at [email protected].

Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket.

Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

#004 - Today's episode comes to us from former First Lady Michelle Obama. Her quote has a few different sections to it, each an important point for us as coaches and for our athletes, too. "We learned about honesty and integrity - that the truth matters... that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules... and success doesn't count unless you earn it fair and square."

Support the show

For more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at [email protected].

Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket.

Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

#003 - Today's quote comes from the inventor of the electric light bulb, Thomas Edison, who said, “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to try just one more time.” There are a few things I unpack in here that I think are great messages for coaches and for their teams.

Support the show

For more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at [email protected].

Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket.

Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

#002 - Today's quote comes from John Wooden. (We'll probably see more from him in future episodes!) This is his definition of success on which his Pyramid of Success is based. Wooden says, "Success is a peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." I love so much about this definition of success, but what I love most is that it is based on what you feel success is, not what others feel success is.

Support the show

For more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at [email protected].

Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket.

Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.

#001 - The famous quote, "Success is a journey, not a destination," kicks off our inaugural episode of Great Quotes for Coaches. Listen in as Scott describes how this impactful quote can help you focus on what is most important with your teams.

Support the show

For more information to help you on your road to becoming your best, check us out at SlamDunkSuccess.com or email me at [email protected].

Our new background music, starting with Episode 300, is "Pulse of Time - Corporate Rock" by TunePocket.

Our background music for the first 5 years of the podcast was "Dance in the Sun" by Krisztian Vass.