---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a child is poor in math but good at…"
description: "\"If a child is poor in math but good at tennis, most people would hire a math tutor. I would rather hire a tennis coach.\" — Deepak Chopra"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/deepak-chopra-63_children_if-a-child-is-poor-in-math-but-good-at-t_512931.jpg"
---

#  If a child is poor in math but good at tennis, most people…

![“If a child is poor in math but good at tennis, most people would hire a math tutor. I would rather hire a tennis coach.” quote by Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/deepak-chopra-63_children_if-a-child-is-poor-in-math-but-good-at-t_512931.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/deepak-chopra-63_children_if-a-child-is-poor-in-math-but-good-at-t_512931.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/deepak-chopra-63_children_if-a-child-is-poor-in-math-but-good-at-t_512931.jpg)

> “If a child is poor in math but good at tennis, most people would hire a math tutor. I would rather hire a tennis coach.”

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

## About This Quote

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

Skills in one domain don’t dictate overall ability; prioritize what aligns with personal strengths and joy.

**In simple terms:** Choose coaching over tutoring when it matches your strengths.

Key Takeaway

Follow your strengths rather than conventional expectations.

Themes

education talent choice

Mood

motivational thoughtful

Type

personal inspirational

When to use this quote

- sports coaching
- career counseling
- personal development

Key Concepts

skill development personal fulfillment career planning

Questions to Reflect On

- What talent would you nurture if free?
- How can you balance practicality with passion?

A Different Perspective

Societal pressure may push toward traditional paths.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Coaches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coaches/) [Good Tennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-tennis-373653/) [Hire Tennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hire-tennis-4342662/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Math Tutor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math-tutor-4342663/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Mentorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentorship/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers/) [Tennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennis/) [Tennis Coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennis-coach-480352/) [Tutor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tutor/)

## Related quotes

> [When I was 16, I had a massive crush on our tennis coach and every time he came round to teach my brothers I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-corrin/when-i-was-16-i-had-a-massive-crush-on-our-tennis-coach-and-every/)

[Emma Corrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-corrin/)

> [I really thought to myself, 'If I'm going to do anything in this world, I am going to be the best I can be.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pincus/i-really-thought-to-myself-if-i-m-going-to-do-anything-in-this-world/)

[Mark Pincus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pincus/)

> [Well, my mum's been a tennis coach - she coached me till I was 12.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/well-my-mum-s-been-a-tennis-coach-she-coached-me-till-i-was-12/)

[Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/)

> [Gender is irrelevant. Certainly the tennis ball doesn't know what the gender was of the tennis coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/gender-is-irrelevant-certainly-the-tennis-ball-doesn-t-know-what-the/)

[Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/)

> [There's a lot of ingredients go into being a good tennis player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/there-s-a-lot-of-ingredients-go-into-being-a-good-tennis-player/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [I saw Kyrgios down in Australia. He played some very good tennis, won two or three matches, and has done the same here at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-laver/i-saw-kyrgios-down-in-australia-he-played-some-very-good-tennis-won/)

[Rod Laver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-laver/)

> [Later, I discovered there was a lot of work to being good in tennis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ashe/later-i-discovered-there-was-a-lot-of-work-to-being-good-in-tennis/)

[Arthur Ashe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ashe/)

> [I know I'm good at tennis. Other than that, everything else is a wild card. I'm a wild card.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/i-know-i-m-good-at-tennis-other-than-that-everything-else-is-a-wild/)

[Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/)

> [I actually like to spend time in the gym. I'm really enjoying it. I guess it's good for my tennis, as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sakkari/i-actually-like-to-spend-time-in-the-gym-i-m-really-enjoying-it-i/)

[Maria Sakkari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sakkari/)

> [Some folks call tennis a rich people's sport or a white person's game. I guess I started too early because I just thought it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ashe/some-folks-call-tennis-a-rich-people-s-sport-or-a-white-person-s-game/)

[Arthur Ashe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ashe/)

> [It's that I have a good personality and am a good tennis player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kournikova/it-s-that-i-have-a-good-personality-and-am-a-good-tennis-player/)

[Anna Kournikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kournikova/)

> [I was a player who just liked to hit everything. That's where I learned to become versatile. That's where I realized I could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-gauff/i-was-a-player-who-just-liked-to-hit-everything-that-s-where-i/)

[Coco Gauff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-gauff/)

> [I think, of course, when you are coming somewhere, when you know you are playing good tennis, it always helps you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kvitova/i-think-of-course-when-you-are-coming-somewhere-when-you-know-you-are/)

[Petra Kvitova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kvitova/)

> [It's good in tennis that you don't have to be big or a tall guy to be good. Otherwise I had no chance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-goffin/it-s-good-in-tennis-that-you-don-t-have-to-be-big-or-a-tall-guy-to-be/)

[David Goffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-goffin/)

> [I'd much rather people knew me as a good tennis player than as an aboriginal who happens to play good tennis. Of course I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evonne-goolagong-cawley/i-d-much-rather-people-knew-me-as-a-good-tennis-player-than-as-an/)

[Evonne Goolagong Cawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evonne-goolagong-cawley/)

## More by Deepak Chopra

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [“Molecules form and dissolve, returning to the primordial soup of atoms. But consciousness survives the death of the molecules on which it rides. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/molecules-form-and-dissolve-returning-to-the-primordial-soup-of-atoms/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Unbounded awareness is the reservoir of possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/unbounded-awareness-is-the-reservoir-of-possibilities/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Spiritual awareness is not only one of the keys to the healing process. Spiritual awareness is the only way that healing can occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/spiritual-awareness-is-not-only-one-of-the-keys-to-the-healing/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [All experiences are either positive for your brain or negative. If you maximize the positive ones, you are shaping the brain you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/all-experiences-are-either-positive-for-your-brain-or-negative-if-you/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [There are only 2 responses to the world, fear or love. Your life depends on which one you choose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/there-are-only-2-responses-to-the-world-fear-or-love-your-life/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [If you take the the insults of your fellow human beings personally, you will be offended for the rest of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/if-you-take-the-the-insults-of-your-fellow-human-beings-personally/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [A person desperately searching for love," Merlin said, "reminds me of a fish desperately searching for water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/a-person-desperately-searching-for-love-merlin-said-reminds-me-of-a/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Fighting your ego is a melodrama of the ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/fighting-your-ego-is-a-melodrama-of-the-ego/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [The same faint song is heard in everything: "Behold yourself".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-same-faint-song-is-heard-in-everything-behold-yourself/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [“All creativity is based on quantum leaps and uncertainty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/all-creativity-is-based-on-quantum-leaps-and-uncertainty/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [The soul knows everything. Be who you are and your life will transform forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-soul-knows-everything-be-who-you-are-and-your-life-will-transform/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [The willingness to reach inside every part of yourself opens the door to total understanding. You place your entire identity on the line, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-willingness-to-reach-inside-every-part-of-yourself-opens-the-door/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Be willing to redefine yourself every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/be-willing-to-redefine-yourself-every-day/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [To have weakness is not to be flawed--it's to be complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/to-have-weakness-is-not-to-be-flawed-it-s-to-be-complete/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

[Explore all 1,675 Deepak Chopra quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

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

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If a child is poor in math but good at tennis, most people would hire a math tutor. I would rather hire a tennis coach.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Deepak Chopra"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/if-a-child-is-poor-in-math-but-good-at-tennis-most-people-would-hire/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/if-a-child-is-poor-in-math-but-good-at-tennis-most-people-would-hire/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/deepak-chopra-63_children_if-a-child-is-poor-in-math-but-good-at-t_512931.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/deepak-chopra-63_children_if-a-child-is-poor-in-math-but-good-at-t_512931.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/deepak-chopra-63_children_if-a-child-is-poor-in-math-but-good-at-t_512931.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If a child is poor in math but good at tennis, most people would hire a math tutor. I would rather hire a…” — Deepak Chopra",
                "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": "Deepak Chopra",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If a child is poor in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/if-a-child-is-poor-in-math-but-good-at-tennis-most-people-would-hire/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/if-a-child-is-poor-in-math-but-good-at-tennis-most-people-would-hire/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
