--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a kid, I played not just basketball…" description: "\"As a kid, I played not just basketball but baseball, softball, tackle football - anything the guys were playing, I wanted to play.\" — Dawn Staley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/dawn-staley-4962_baseball_as-a-kid-i-played-not-just-basketball-bu_570504.png" --- # As a kid, I played not just basketball but baseball… ![“As a kid, I played not just basketball but baseball, softball, tackle football - anything the guys were playing, I wanted to play.” quote by Dawn Staley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/dawn-staley-4962_baseball_as-a-kid-i-played-not-just-basketball-bu_570504.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/dawn-staley-4962_baseball_as-a-kid-i-played-not-just-basketball-bu_570504.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/dawn-staley-4962_baseball_as-a-kid-i-played-not-just-basketball-bu_570504.png) > “As a kid, I played not just basketball but baseball, softball, tackle football - anything the guys were playing, I wanted to play.” [Dawn Staley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-staley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker recalls a childhood desire to join any sport the boys played, reflecting a drive for inclusive participation. **In simple terms:** Wanted to play all sports as a child. Key Takeaway Encourage equal access to all sports. Themes sports gender inclusion Mood reflective inspired Type social motivational When to use this quote - school - community programs - family outings Key Concepts childhood participation equity Questions to Reflect On - What barriers prevented participation? - How can we broaden access? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [To me, it didn't matter where I played, I just wanted to play well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-lott/to-me-it-didn-t-matter-where-i-played-i-just-wanted-to-play-well/) [Ronnie Lott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-lott/) > [Guys that are playing in the preseason are one play away from being a starter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-reid/guys-that-are-playing-in-the-preseason-are-one-play-away-from-being-a/) [Eric Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-reid/) > [I was huge on basketball and baseball. I love sports. I'm an L.A. guy. I love the Lakers and Dodgers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/collin-morikawa/i-was-huge-on-basketball-and-baseball-i-love-sports-i-m-an-l-a-guy-i/) [Collin Morikawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/collin-morikawa/) > [Right when 'Liv and Maddie' had started, there was no roadmap for how to do a show where one girl played two. It's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dove-cameron/right-when-liv-and-maddie-had-started-there-was-no-roadmap-for-how-to/) [Dove Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dove-cameron/) > [Good teams I played on... just the tone that they play with, the energy they play with, how they go about it. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mattingly/good-teams-i-played-on-just-the-tone-that-they-play-with-the-energy/) [Don Mattingly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mattingly/) > [A lot of the bad guys I've played just haven't had much dimension to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/a-lot-of-the-bad-guys-i-ve-played-just-haven-t-had-much-dimension-to/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [Don't you just love being played? To them it's just like a game, when in truth you were serious. He made you delerious and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ember-toton/don-t-you-just-love-being-played-to-them-it-s-just-like-a-game-when/) [Ember Toton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ember-toton/) > [The Knicks left me open a lot of times the last time we played them, and I was just making sure I took the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lewis/the-knicks-left-me-open-a-lot-of-times-the-last-time-we-played-them/) [Reggie Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lewis/) > [If I played just one song from every album, I would be onstage for two and a half hours. No one wants a show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-hitchcock/if-i-played-just-one-song-from-every-album-i-would-be-onstage-for-two/) [Robyn Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-hitchcock/) > [Usually, I end up looking for something completely different to who I last played. But there is just a spark that's lit when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-otto/usually-i-end-up-looking-for-something-completely-different-to-who-i/) [Miranda Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-otto/) > [I was helped by the fact that my dad is a cricket fanatic and that my three brothers and two sisters all played. 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We just weren't particularly great at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-duffer/my-brother-and-i-played-d-d-we-just-weren-t-particularly-great-at-it/) [Matt Duffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-duffer/) > [I'd distract myself until finally it was a combination of things. The show was over and I had time on my hands. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-reiser/i-d-distract-myself-until-finally-it-was-a-combination-of-things-the/) [Paul Reiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-reiser/) ## More by Dawn Staley > [I'm not the one to back down and I don't give up, and believe me, I'm not perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-staley/i-m-not-the-one-to-back-down-and-i-don-t-give-up-and-believe-me-i-m/) [Dawn Staley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-staley/) > [Aside from their talent, a prerequisite of us actually recruiting a young lady is their relationship with their parents because if they respect their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-staley/aside-from-their-talent-a-prerequisite-of-us-actually-recruiting-a/) [Dawn Staley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-staley/) > [When I was growing up in the projects in Philadelphia in the 1970s and 80s, Cadillac was the car to have. But I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-staley/when-i-was-growing-up-in-the-projects-in-philadelphia-in-the-1970s/) [Dawn Staley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-staley/) > [I like the challenge of getting players to rise to certain levels, but that's the easy part. The biggest challenge is to get them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-staley/i-like-the-challenge-of-getting-players-to-rise-to-certain-levels-but/) [Dawn Staley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-staley/) > [I don't coach to win awards, I really don't. I'm very, very satisfied with just being there for my players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-staley/i-don-t-coach-to-win-awards-i-really-don-t-i-m-very-very-satisfied/) [Dawn Staley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-staley/) > [I grew up in the projects in North Philly. 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I connected extremely well with the players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-staley/coaching-teaching-the-game-came-relatively-easy-i-connected-extremely/) [Dawn Staley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-staley/) [Explore all 104 Dawn Staley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-staley/) ## More Baseball quotes > [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. 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Guys don't receive it well or whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/i-don-t-want-the-electronic-strike-zone-i-like-the-element-of/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [If I was going to make one rule change, I would bring the DH to the National League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-brett/if-i-was-going-to-make-one-rule-change-i-would-bring-the-dh-to-the/) [George Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-brett/) > [In all honesty, once you become a professional, number one, you're no longer a fan. I don't root for the Dodgers, really. 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