---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Too often athletes think there's these…"
description: "\"Too often athletes think there's these norms that I have to fit into and there are people that I have to please.\" — Chris Long"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/chris-long-5847_athletes_too-often-athletes-think-there-s-these-n_3172180.jpg"
---

#  Too often athletes think there's these norms that I have…

![“Too often athletes think there's these norms that I have to fit into and there are people that I have to please.” quote by Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/chris-long-5847_athletes_too-often-athletes-think-there-s-these-n_3172180.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/chris-long-5847_athletes_too-often-athletes-think-there-s-these-n_3172180.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/chris-long-5847_athletes_too-often-athletes-think-there-s-these-n_3172180.jpg)

> “Too often athletes think there's these norms that I have to fit into and there are people that I have to please.”

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Athletes often feel pressured to conform to norms and please others, limiting authentic performance.

**In simple terms:** Athletes feel forced to fit expectations.

Key Takeaway

Embrace authenticity over external approval.

Themes

sports psychology authenticity social pressure

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

advice inspirational

When to use this quote

- team dynamics
- personal branding
- coaching sessions

Key Concepts

identity performance mental health

Questions to Reflect On

- What expectations are you trying to meet?
- How can you assert your own standards?

A Different Perspective

External expectations can still dominate despite personal resolve.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Athletes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletes/) [Athletes Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletes-think-1652849/) [Fit People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit-people-301110/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Norms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/norms/) [Norms Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/norms-fit-5779036/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Please](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/please/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Norms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-norms-5779035/)

## Related quotes

> [When I look at the great athletes, I think of the Kobes and the LeBrons and the Tom Bradys of the world, obviously they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/when-i-look-at-the-great-athletes-i-think-of-the-kobes-and-the/)

[Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/)

> [I never thought that shoes would be the reason that you recruit players, but it's a factor. I think we need to get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-pitino/i-never-thought-that-shoes-would-be-the-reason-that-you-recruit/)

[Rick Pitino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-pitino/)

> [There are not many athletes who are out. And I think it's something that's important. It felt important to me. I guess it seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-rapinoe/there-are-not-many-athletes-who-are-out-and-i-think-it-s-something/)

[Megan Rapinoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-rapinoe/)

> [“Why would you want to fit in with women who find it amusing to belittle everybody who isn’t them? Why would you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-s-parker/why-would-you-want-to-fit-in-with-women-who-find-it-amusing-to/)

[M.S. Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-s-parker/)

> [There may be hundred fit people who may dislike me because of my weight, but there are 500 girls out there who look up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zareen-khan/there-may-be-hundred-fit-people-who-may-dislike-me-because-of-my/)

[Zareen Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zareen-khan/)

> [Laws should be like clothes. They should be made to fit the people they are meant to serve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-darrow/laws-should-be-like-clothes-they-should-be-made-to-fit-the-people-2/)

[Clarence Darrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-darrow/)

> [Marriage isn't just about two people who fit together well. It's about two people who figure out how to fit together well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-v-gordon/marriage-isn-t-just-about-two-people-who-fit-together-well-it-s-about/)

[Emily V. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-v-gordon/)

> [“Don’t build the organization to fit the people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/don-t-build-the-organization-to-fit-the-people/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“Don’t design jobs to fit people; over time, this almost always turns out to be a mistake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/don-t-design-jobs-to-fit-people-over-time-this-almost-always-turns/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [The problem with the society nowadays is that everyone is trying to fit in when most of the people were born to stand out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-problem-with-the-society-nowadays-is-that-everyone-is-trying-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Came to terms with not fitting in a long time ago. I never really fitted in. I don't want to fit in. And now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mcqueen/came-to-terms-with-not-fitting-in-a-long-time-ago-i-never-really/)

[Alexander McQueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mcqueen/)

> [The body must stay fit. Fit people like themselves much better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-vreeland/the-body-must-stay-fit-fit-people-like-themselves-much-better/)

[Diana Vreeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-vreeland/)

> [ I had some very fit people. I worked with a lot of athletes helping them, especially combat athletes, MMA fighters,\[Dennis\] Bermudez, \[Chris\] Weidman, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-algieri/i-had-some-very-fit-people-i-worked-with-a-lot-of-athletes-helping/)

[Chris Algieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-algieri/)

> [For professional athletes, I always think about it in these terms: the most difficult diva of women's soccer would be the easiest NBA player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-van-gundy/for-professional-athletes-i-always-think-about-it-in-these-terms-the/)

[Jeff Van Gundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-van-gundy/)

> [“If athletes could think of SM as sports, they'd understand the acceptance of pain, but they'd always want to know who was winning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-w-bean/if-athletes-could-think-of-sm-as-sports-they-d-understand-the/)

[Joseph W. Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-w-bean/)

## More by Chris Long

> [My mother has been really instrumental in raising a lot of money through the Boys &amp; Girls Club in my hometown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/my-mother-has-been-really-instrumental-in-raising-a-lot-of-money/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I'm a big guy and I can't have any tiny tattoos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-m-a-big-guy-and-i-can-t-have-any-tiny-tattoos/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [Before I was a champion, I failed, and I was afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/before-i-was-a-champion-i-failed-and-i-was-afraid/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I came to Philly not only because of the quality of the team and the organization, but also the fans, the passion - it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-came-to-philly-not-only-because-of-the-quality-of-the-team-and-the/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I don't think football is enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-don-t-think-football-is-enough-for-me/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [My dad was able to give me everything through football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/my-dad-was-able-to-give-me-everything-through-football/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I've been through nine camps, and they're all a little bit different, but at the end of the day, it's just football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-ve-been-through-nine-camps-and-they-re-all-a-little-bit-different/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I've been lucky, man. I've been very lucky for 10 years, made a lot of money playing a game, a kids' game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-ve-been-lucky-man-i-ve-been-very-lucky-for-10-years-made-a-lot-of/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I love Philadelphia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-love-philadelphia/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [When I grew up, I had everything you could ask for, and I kind of didn't appreciate it. Because it was a given for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/when-i-grew-up-i-had-everything-you-could-ask-for-and-i-kind-of-didn/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [In my career playing football, nobody asked me to do as much as Bill Belichick did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/in-my-career-playing-football-nobody-asked-me-to-do-as-much-as-bill/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [It's a team game, but at the end of the day, you gotta be happy, and you gotta enjoy playing football every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/it-s-a-team-game-but-at-the-end-of-the-day-you-gotta-be-happy-and-you/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [I've heard a lot of people say you need white athletes to get involved in the anthem protests. I've said before I'll never kneel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/i-ve-heard-a-lot-of-people-say-you-need-white-athletes-to-get/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [Educational equity was my way of giving my salary. It's not $10 million or anything. I'm not going to act like I'm the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/educational-equity-was-my-way-of-giving-my-salary-it-s-not-10-million/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

> [This is a wonderful country, and I think everyone agrees on that, but there are things in our country that can improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/this-is-a-wonderful-country-and-i-think-everyone-agrees-on-that-but/)

[Chris Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

[Explore all 100 Chris Long quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/)

## More Athletes quotes

> [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/)

[Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/)

> [Whether it's basketball, football, baseball, you like meeting other athletes to see how their jobs work, and everything like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-gaudreau/whether-it-s-basketball-football-baseball-you-like-meeting-other/)

[Johnny Gaudreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-gaudreau/)

> [I'd just like to see athletes awake. And aware. There's so much going on and so much to know... We stay in our little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-teter/i-d-just-like-to-see-athletes-awake-and-aware-there-s-so-much-going/)

[Hannah Teter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-teter/)

> [Professional athletes die twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/professional-athletes-die-twice/)

[Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/)

> [It's important for closet gay athletes everywhere, not just at the professional level, but more importantly athletes at the younger level in high school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-fujita/it-s-important-for-closet-gay-athletes-everywhere-not-just-at-the/)

[Scott Fujita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-fujita/)

> [Theres that initial reticence for some athletes to take you seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-guerrero/theres-that-initial-reticence-for-some-athletes-to-take-you-seriously/)

[Lisa Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-guerrero/)

> [I think athletes in general, your days are numbered. Any time you can kind of learn and grow from an entrepreneurship standpoint and ownership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ingram-ii/i-think-athletes-in-general-your-days-are-numbered-any-time-you-can/)

[Mark Ingram II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ingram-ii/)

> [Athletes can not look the same and be great in their individual sport. The example I like to use is Gabby Douglas. She could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-carter/athletes-can-not-look-the-same-and-be-great-in-their-individual-sport/)

[Michelle Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-carter/)

> [“Athletes, we were supposed to just be there, and in class I made it a point that I was prepared for every exam, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-wilkens/athletes-we-were-supposed-to-just-be-there-and-in-class-i-made-it-a/)

[Lenny Wilkens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-wilkens/)

> [My guess is many top athletes, distance runners included, use performance-enhancing drugs, enough so that the problem must be tackled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-rodgers/my-guess-is-many-top-athletes-distance-runners-included-use/)

[Bill Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-rodgers/)

> [I always tell young athletes the same thing, 'Wherever you go, whatever you do, what must your top priority be? Running.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haile-gebrselassie/i-always-tell-young-athletes-the-same-thing-wherever-you-go-whatever/)

[Haile Gebrselassie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haile-gebrselassie/)

> [The most important thing to me is to inspire all these athletes in the next generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-heath/the-most-important-thing-to-me-is-to-inspire-all-these-athletes-in/)

[Tobin Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-heath/)

> [Somewhere behind the athlete you have become, and hours if practice is a little girl who picked up a ball, fell in love with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/somewhere-behind-the-athlete-you-have-become-and-hours-if-practice-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Athletes love challenges, and golf is something you can never master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-horry/athletes-love-challenges-and-golf-is-something-you-can-never-master/)

[Robert Horry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-horry/)

> [My concentration level blocks out everything. Concentration is why some athletes are better than others. You develop that concentration in training and concentrate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-concentration-level-blocks-out-everything-concentration-is-why/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 601 Athletes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletes/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Too often athletes think there's these norms that I have to fit into and there are people that I have to please.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Chris Long"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/too-often-athletes-think-there-s-these-norms-that-i-have-to-fit-into/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Athletes"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/too-often-athletes-think-there-s-these-norms-that-i-have-to-fit-into/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/chris-long-5847_athletes_too-often-athletes-think-there-s-these-n_3172180.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/chris-long-5847_athletes_too-often-athletes-think-there-s-these-n_3172180.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/chris-long-5847_athletes_too-often-athletes-think-there-s-these-n_3172180.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Too often athletes think there's these norms that I have to fit into and there are people that I have to…” — Chris Long",
                "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": "Chris Long",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-long/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Too often athletes think there's these...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/too-often-athletes-think-there-s-these-norms-that-i-have-to-fit-into/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-long/too-often-athletes-think-there-s-these-norms-that-i-have-to-fit-into/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
