Inspiring Quotes for Athletes

This week's Monday Motivation is dedicated to sister Jean and all the fans just like her. The moms who drive 5 hours to watch you play five minutes, but still yell the loudest. The dads who spend their days in the summer putting together makeshift batting cages in the backyard and bringing down endless rebounds in the driveway. The little sibling that dresses up in full cheer leader attire just to cheer on their big brother. These are the people who play for, push through for, do one more rep for, the ones who motivate and inspire us. Loyola is in the final four, the first time an eleven seed has made it this far since George Mason's run in the early 2000's. Their fans never doubted, their coaches never doubted, their parents never doubted and they themselves never doubted what they could achieve. They play with the legacy of the 1963 Loyola team to bring the only  national championship to the state of Illinois with four African Americans in the starting line up. They p...

America is the land of the underdog, from the Revolutionary War to the Great Depression it is the American sense of resilience that propels us forward. The belief that even the smallest most unassuming people are capable of achieving greatness beyond measure. This idea of the upset is as old as the Old Testament, and as David conquered Goliath so do many small universities conquer basketball royalty in the field of 64. Some will make history, some will make memories, some will shed tears and others will cut down nets. One thing remains constant in the month of march and that is when it comes to college basketball magic and madness are the staples. Dig deep and find that Monday Motivation and dominate in spite of those who doubted you, attack every day to achieve greatness and make anyone regret labeling you an underdog. So far march has been a non-stop barrage of upsets and firsts, from the first ever win in the first round by a 16 seed to the cinderella Loyola Chicago Ramblers ad...

I am a former high school basketball player from the hoosier state, where the only thing we produce are ears of corn and jump shooters. I picked up a basketball when I was three years old and graduated from the little tikes hoop to the big hoop at five. My whole life, whether times were turbulent or sailing was smooth, basketball was always a constant. I tell every girl I date that no matter how hard they try, my first love will always be Ms. Wilson, as in the Wilson Evolution the holy grail of balls to anyone who balls. I am not Lebron James, I'm not even the best player from my high school, the best kids from my school go D1. As a result, I did not go to college to play any sports, but does that mean I don't play? Absolutely not, basketball is in my veins and I couldn't quit if I wanted to, playing competitively even got me addicted to the process of becoming better. I lift, I do plyometrics, I work on moves, I shoot at game speed, I shoot until my body is too tired to m...

Growing up Derek Jeter was my baseball hero, every year in little league I would eagerly anticipate getting called on to pick my jersey number in hopes of number two being available. It rarely was, because I was not the only person who idealized the captain of the bronx bombers. 14 time all star, 5 time World Series Champion, 5 time Gold Glove recipient, 5 time Silver Slugger recipient, 2 time Hank Aaron Award recipient and the New York Yankees all time leader in hits, doubles, stolen bases and games played. It is no wonder why I wasn't the only one competing for the number 2 and touching the inside corner of the plate and reaching my right arm towards the backstop before  tipping my cap  before taking a swing. This week's Monday Motivation is about good ol' fashioned hard work. Cap's numbers don't lie, and effort is always appreciated. There's no excuse for someone else taking more initiative than you at your job. There's no excuse for someone spending...

For every athlete, waking up in pain is a part of the process and whether you hate it or love it, if you love to play, you know the pain is here to stay. Whether you compete now, used to in high school, lift weights to compete or stay in shape, whether you only do cross fit or frequently run in charity 5/10ks; no matter what it is you do to keep yourself healthy everyone can relate to waking up with sore and stiff muscles from a good workout.  Marines say pain is weakness leaving the body. Biologists say that as mammals humans generate lactic acid to rebuild our muscle fibers that break down as a result of putting intense strain on said muscles or muscle groups. Football players wear pain like a badge of honor. Basketball players know the paint is for hardbodies only. Hockey players come to blows at center ice, while both baseball and soccer players know about spikes. There's a reason lacrosse players wear helmets and pads, and rugby players need to cover their ears. Any conta...