--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had no chance of controlling a ball…" description: "\"I had no chance of controlling a ball game until I first controlled myself.\" — Carl Hubbell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/carl-hubbell-45356_ball-game_i-had-no-chance-of-controlling-a-ball-ga_2278124.png" --- # I had no chance of controlling a ball game until I first… ![“I had no chance of controlling a ball game until I first controlled myself.” quote by Carl Hubbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/carl-hubbell-45356_ball-game_i-had-no-chance-of-controlling-a-ball-ga_2278124.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/carl-hubbell-45356_ball-game_i-had-no-chance-of-controlling-a-ball-ga_2278124.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/carl-hubbell-45356_ball-game_i-had-no-chance-of-controlling-a-ball-ga_2278124.png) > “I had no chance of controlling a ball game until I first controlled myself.” [Carl Hubbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hubbell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑control precedes mastery of external challenges; mastering oneself is the first step to influencing a game. **In simple terms:** Control yourself before controlling the game. Key Takeaway Master internal discipline first. Themes self‑control sports mastery mindset discipline Mood motivational determined Type sports leadership When to use this quote - team sports - personal coaching - high‑pressure situations Key Concepts psychology of performance self‑regulation leadership Questions to Reflect On - What internal habits improve your performance? - Can external factors outweigh self‑control? A Different Perspective Self‑control alone may not guarantee success without skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ball game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ball-game/) [Ball games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ball-games/) [Balls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balls/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Chance Controlling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance-controlling-5306538/) [Controlled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controlled/) [Controlling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controlling/) [Controlling Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controlling-ball-3551585/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Game Controlled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game-controlled-5306539/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) ## Related quotes > [Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/football-is-a-simple-game-based-on-the-giving-and-taking-of-passes-of/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [The reason people like to watch ball games is because they don't really know exactly what's going to happen from moment to moment. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-mizrahi/the-reason-people-like-to-watch-ball-games-is-because-they-don-t/) [Isaac Mizrahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-mizrahi/) > [“On the surface, there is something peculiar about turning a portion of one's happiness over to a collection of ballplayers, and perhaps more peculiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-swift/on-the-surface-there-is-something-peculiar-about-turning-a-portion-of/) [Tom Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-swift/) > [It's a great joy but no test of love or commitment to take your son to a ball game. You really prove your credentials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/it-s-a-great-joy-but-no-test-of-love-or-commitment-to-take-your-son/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [And of course in America you've got American football and baseball and all those other ball games, soccer has become a little niche that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parminder-nagra/and-of-course-in-america-you-ve-got-american-football-and-baseball/) [Parminder Nagra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parminder-nagra/) > [Golf and snooker are similar. They are ball games that you don't have to be super fit for. 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Those are the only things we can control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-machado/i-hustle-i-run-down-the-line-i-do-whatever-i-can-to-win-ball-games/) [Manny Machado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-machado/) > [When your blood is found at the murder scene, that's the end of the ball game, there's nothing more to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-bugliosi/when-your-blood-is-found-at-the-murder-scene-that-s-the-end-of-the/) [Vincent Bugliosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-bugliosi/) > [Nothing makes a pitcher feel more secure than the sight of his teammates circling the bases during a ball game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brosnan/nothing-makes-a-pitcher-feel-more-secure-than-the-sight-of-his/) [Jim Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-brosnan/) > [My thing is just trying to figure out how we can win ball games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-redick/my-thing-is-just-trying-to-figure-out-how-we-can-win-ball-games/) [J. J. Redick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-redick/) ## More by Carl Hubbell > [Besides, there were 50,000 fans or more there, and they wanted to see the best you've got. There was an obligation to the people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hubbell/besides-there-were-50-000-fans-or-more-there-and-they-wanted-to-see/) [Carl Hubbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hubbell/) > [A fellow doesn't last long on what he has done. He has to keep on delivering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hubbell/a-fellow-doesn-t-last-long-on-what-he-has-done-he-has-to-keep-on/) [Carl Hubbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hubbell/) > [Striking out Ruth and Gehrig in succession was too big an order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hubbell/striking-out-ruth-and-gehrig-in-succession-was-too-big-an-order/) [Carl Hubbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hubbell/) > [The screwball's an unnatural pitch. 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And after you've been a boy, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-this-baseball-game-of-ours-comes-up-from-the-youth-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Trying to manage a project without project management is like trying to play a football game without a game plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trying-to-manage-a-project-without-project-management-is-like-trying/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We'll do anything it takes to win a basketball game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-lowry/we-ll-do-anything-it-takes-to-win-a-basketball-game/) [Kyle Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-lowry/) > [When I am working it is up early and coffee and 15 hours of being on the set. 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The naked eye was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/some-coaches-believed-they-could-judge-a-player-s-performance-simply/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) [Browse all 849 Ball game quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ball-game/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had no chance of controlling a ball game until I first controlled myself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carl Hubbell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hubbell/i-had-no-chance-of-controlling-a-ball-game-until-i-first-controlled/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ball game" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hubbell/i-had-no-chance-of-controlling-a-ball-game-until-i-first-controlled/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/carl-hubbell-45356_ball-game_i-had-no-chance-of-controlling-a-ball-ga_2278124.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/carl-hubbell-45356_ball-game_i-had-no-chance-of-controlling-a-ball-ga_2278124.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/carl-hubbell-45356_ball-game_i-had-no-chance-of-controlling-a-ball-ga_2278124.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had no chance of controlling a ball game until I first controlled myself.” — Carl Hubbell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Carl Hubbell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hubbell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I had no chance of controlling...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hubbell/i-had-no-chance-of-controlling-a-ball-game-until-i-first-controlled/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hubbell/i-had-no-chance-of-controlling-a-ball-game-until-i-first-controlled/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```