--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was 29 years old. I was still playing…" description: "\"I was 29 years old. I was still playing professional basketball. And then I get this opportunity, you know, of coaching. And I was probably more afraid..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/dawn-staley-4962_age_i-was-29-years-old-i-was-still-playing-p_3002624.jpg" --- # I was 29 years old. I was still playing professional… ![“I was 29 years old. I was still playing professional basketball. And then I get this opportunity, you know, of coaching. And I was probably more afraid of being responsible for young people that's closer to my age than anything. So the responsibility part of it really just frightened me just a…” quote by Dawn Staley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/dawn-staley-4962_age_i-was-29-years-old-i-was-still-playing-p_3002624.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/dawn-staley-4962_age_i-was-29-years-old-i-was-still-playing-p_3002624.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/dawn-staley-4962_age_i-was-29-years-old-i-was-still-playing-p_3002624.jpg) > “I was 29 years old. I was still playing professional basketball. And then I get this opportunity, you know, of coaching. And I was probably more afraid of being responsible for young people that's closer to my age than anything. So the responsibility part of it really just frightened me just a little bit.” [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. Moving from player to coach brings fear of responsibility for younger athletes, especially when close in age, highlighting the challenge of leadership and mentorship. **In simple terms:** Coaching can feel daunting due to responsibility. Key Takeaway Embrace mentorship, trust your experience. Themes leadership responsibility mentorship career transition Mood encouraging reflective Type motivational professional When to use this quote - Youth sports - team management - personal growth - confidence building Key Concepts Coaching dynamics age proximity confidence building Questions to Reflect On - How can you overcome fear of responsibility? - What support helps new coaches succeed? A Different Perspective Responsibility can be intimidating for new leaders. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid Responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-responsible-4774347/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Age Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-responsibility-4774348/) [Coaching Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coaching-probably-3723914/) [Frightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightened/) [Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Playing Professional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-professional-276596/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) ## Related quotes > [21 is the age of responsibility. Give it a few months and you will be wondering why you were in such a hurry to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/21-is-the-age-of-responsibility-give-it-a-few-months-and-you-will-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love coaching. I would probably be coaching. I would work in athletes and work with the youth. I would maybe do personal development…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovin-darius/i-love-coaching-i-would-probably-be-coaching-i-would-work-in-athletes/) [Donovin Darius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donovin-darius/) > [No, I've never had any interest in coaching, probably because I hated being told what to do when I was a player so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-le-tissier/no-i-ve-never-had-any-interest-in-coaching-probably-because-i-hated/) [Matt Le Tissier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-le-tissier/) > [A lot of players go into a restaurant and ask for a special table. I go and stand in line with the working people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-damon/a-lot-of-players-go-into-a-restaurant-and-ask-for-a-special-table-i/) [Johnny Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-damon/) > [I started playing professional basketball in 1971, and I played professionally for five seasons before going to Philadelphia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/i-started-playing-professional-basketball-in-1971-and-i-played/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [If your eyes and ears are open and you're playing professional golf, you can meet some cool people. Not only cool and successful, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/if-your-eyes-and-ears-are-open-and-you-re-playing-professional-golf/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [I can confirm that following specialist medical advice I am having to retire from playing professional football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mason/i-can-confirm-that-following-specialist-medical-advice-i-am-having-to/) [Ryan Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mason/) > [Playing professional football is something I'll never be able to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-o-connell/playing-professional-football-is-something-i-ll-never-be-able-to-do/) [Jerry O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-o-connell/) > [Playing on the PGA Tour and playing professional golf, I think it's what everyone has dreamed of doing - all the guys who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickie-fowler/playing-on-the-pga-tour-and-playing-professional-golf-i-think-it-s/) [Rickie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickie-fowler/) > [At ten I was playing against 18-year-old guys. 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I love the game, don't get me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-bellamy/i-ve-been-playing-at-a-professional-level-for-17-18-years-now-and/) [Craig Bellamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-bellamy/) > [It wasn't until after I received my education that I seriously looked at sports entertainment as a way to make a career for myself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/it-wasn-t-until-after-i-received-my-education-that-i-seriously-looked/) [John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/) > [My dad was a great athlete growing up, and he could never fulfill his dreams of playing professional baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-foles/my-dad-was-a-great-athlete-growing-up-and-he-could-never-fulfill-his/) [Nick Foles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-foles/) > [When I first got to college, in my mind, I was going to end up playing professional football. When I tell people this story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jovan-adepo/when-i-first-got-to-college-in-my-mind-i-was-going-to-end-up-playing/) [Jovan Adepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jovan-adepo/) > [I probably realized when I was maybe 13 years of age that I could make a living out of playing professional sport and from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-folau/i-probably-realized-when-i-was-maybe-13-years-of-age-that-i-could/) [Israel Folau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-folau/) ## 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 need to have a personal relationship with each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-staley/if-there-were-ever-a-secret-to-being-a-great-coach-that-s-it-the/) [Dawn Staley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-staley/) > [It's my nature just to teach, help and simplify basketball, that's my mentality. To not make the game so hard. 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