--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was growing up, I wanted to be a…" description: "\"When I was growing up, I wanted to be a coach. I had people telling me you can't do this, you're not a great player. Be realistic. When I got rejection..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a6/dick-vitale-14709_coach_when-i-was-growing-up-i-wanted-to-be-a-c_2473895.png" --- # When I was growing up, I wanted to be a coach. I had… ![“When I was growing up, I wanted to be a coach. I had people telling me you can't do this, you're not a great player. Be realistic. When I got rejection letters from colleges where I wanted to coach, my mom would say, "You are going to make it someday. You have something special within you and that…” quote by Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a6/dick-vitale-14709_coach_when-i-was-growing-up-i-wanted-to-be-a-c_2473895.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a6/dick-vitale-14709_coach_when-i-was-growing-up-i-wanted-to-be-a-c_2473895.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a6/dick-vitale-14709_coach_when-i-was-growing-up-i-wanted-to-be-a-c_2473895.png) > “When I was growing up, I wanted to be a coach. I had people telling me you can't do this, you're not a great player. Be realistic. When I got rejection letters from colleges where I wanted to coach, my mom would say, "You are going to make it someday. You have something special within you and that is your spirit for life which will help you get to the top."” [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Despite doubts and rejections, belief in one’s unique spirit and perseverance can lead to eventual success. **In simple terms:** Believe in yourself despite setbacks. Key Takeaway Persist and trust your inner drive. Themes resilience self‑belief coaching Mood hopeful motivated Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - sports coaching - career setbacks - personal ambition - family support Key Concepts psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn criticism into motivation? - What daily habits nurture your inner spirit? A Different Perspective External criticism can erode confidence if not balanced with self‑validation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coach/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Mentorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentorship/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rejection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rejection/) [Rejection letters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rejection-letters/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) ## Related quotes > [In life it wasn't what you know, but who you know. I had people who were trying to buy teams and had they bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-barry/in-life-it-wasn-t-what-you-know-but-who-you-know-i-had-people-who/) [Rick Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-barry/) > [Dad was the pitching coach, while Mom was the emotional supporter. Her unconditional love was great, and she wanted what was best for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-finch/dad-was-the-pitching-coach-while-mom-was-the-emotional-supporter-her-2/) [Jennie Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-finch/) > [Dad was the pitching coach, while Mom was the emotional supporter. Her unconditional love was great, and she wanted what was best for me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-finch/dad-was-the-pitching-coach-while-mom-was-the-emotional-supporter-her/) [Jennie Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-finch/) > [My mom's a character. My dad was my coach, but my mom was the one who was hard on me. I would come home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-trubisky/my-mom-s-a-character-my-dad-was-my-coach-but-my-mom-was-the-one-who/) [Mitchell Trubisky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-trubisky/) > [Everything started with my mom. When I was five, she asked me if I wanted to sign up for soccer, but I had some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-horan/everything-started-with-my-mom-when-i-was-five-she-asked-me-if-i/) [Lindsey Horan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-horan/) > [You have something special, you have GREATNESS within you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-brown/you-have-something-special-you-have-greatness-within-you/) [Les Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-brown/) > [No test... no testimony. You can not make lemonade with sugar alone... you must have some sour lemons. You can not learn good horsemanship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-brown/no-test-no-testimony-you-can-not-make-lemonade-with-sugar-alone-you/) [Les Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-brown/) > [It's your time for a breakthrough! Make up your mind to leave the past and the old you behind. Focus on giving birth to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-brown/it-s-your-time-for-a-breakthrough-make-up-your-mind-to-leave-the-past/) [Les Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-brown/) > [If life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. And if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-brown/if-life-knocks-you-down-try-to-land-on-your-back-because-if-you-can/) [Les Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-brown/) > [“Find people who are willing to go with you freely. Stop trying to coach people into your life destiny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-l-brown/find-people-who-are-willing-to-go-with-you-freely-stop-trying-to/) C.L. Brown > [When I was a young coach, there were people like Chuck Noll, Chuck Knox and Tom Landry who were there for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-parcells/when-i-was-a-young-coach-there-were-people-like-chuck-noll-chuck-knox/) [Bill Parcells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-parcells/) > [I want to be able to coach people, impact people, win football games and hopefully win a Super Bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rivera/i-want-to-be-able-to-coach-people-impact-people-win-football-games/) [Ron Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rivera/) > [I've always tried to coach people the way I would like to be coached; positively and encouragingly rather than with criticism and fear ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/i-ve-always-tried-to-coach-people-the-way-i-would-like-to-be-coached/) [Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/) > [Coaching is my way of helping aspiring and professional writers get the kind of help and guidance that it took me years to piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-c-harper/coaching-is-my-way-of-helping-aspiring-and-professional-writers-get/) [Steven C. Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-c-harper/) > [It's easy to say when you're on the outside and when you're the coach or for people to say, 'Oh, you should have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-manuwa/it-s-easy-to-say-when-you-re-on-the-outside-and-when-you-re-the-coach/) [Jimi Manuwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-manuwa/) ## More by Dick Vitale > [A winner is someone who can look in the mirror at the end of the day and say in pursuit of my goal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/a-winner-is-someone-who-can-look-in-the-mirror-at-the-end-of-the-day/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [People that don't know me think that basketball is my life 24/7. Trust me, there is much more to my life. My number one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/people-that-don-t-know-me-think-that-basketball-is-my-life-24-7-trust/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [Bottom line: college basketball is broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/bottom-line-college-basketball-is-broken/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [Today in coaching, it's a two-way street. They can fire you whenever they want. Bottom line: It's all about what you can do to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/today-in-coaching-it-s-a-two-way-street-they-can-fire-you-whenever/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [One of my biggest gifts ever, my mother made a Yankee uniform for me as a little boy, and I wore it to bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/one-of-my-biggest-gifts-ever-my-mother-made-a-yankee-uniform-for-me/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [I'm a basketball guy. No sitcom guy. I don't care about all that jazz. I care about basketball. It's not me. And I stayed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/i-m-a-basketball-guy-no-sitcom-guy-i-don-t-care-about-all-that-jazz-i/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [The glory of sport is witnessing a well-coached team perform as a single unit, striving for a common goal and ultimately bringing distinction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/the-glory-of-sport-is-witnessing-a-well-coached-team-perform-as-a/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [It was an incredible effort by the Irish down in Tallahassee. Jameis Winston was too tough in the second half; congrats to the Seminoles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/it-was-an-incredible-effort-by-the-irish-down-in-tallahassee-jameis/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [Life is simple. Make good decisions and good things happen. Make bad decisions and bad things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/life-is-simple-make-good-decisions-and-good-things-happen-make-bad/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [Really, UCLA's a great place as well, but they don't have the kind of environment they have here. The fans here have a passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/really-ucla-s-a-great-place-as-well-but-they-don-t-have-the-kind-of/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [Life has good and bad times. And to get through them you have to battle. Life is not all smooth. I've had my bumps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/life-has-good-and-bad-times-and-to-get-through-them-you-have-to/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [Looking back, I remember telling my daughters that we didn't have money, pizzazz and a lot of the things we have today, but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/looking-back-i-remember-telling-my-daughters-that-we-didn-t-have/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [It is time for everyone to sit down -the NCAA, the NBA, the players union and the coaching fraternity-and come up with suitable solutions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/it-is-time-for-everyone-to-sit-down-the-ncaa-the-nba-the-players/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [Coaching to me is the ultimate high, especially when you have a game plan and you see that game plan executed to perfection. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/coaching-to-me-is-the-ultimate-high-especially-when-you-have-a-game/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [TV critics came after me for overhyping LeBron. A lot of people don't know this, but I didn't want to do the game. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/tv-critics-came-after-me-for-overhyping-lebron-a-lot-of-people-don-t/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) [Explore all 45 Dick Vitale quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) ## More Coach quotes > [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/) [Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/) > [My coach, Robert Allen, helped me a lot. He had more influence on my growth as a player than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamarcus-aldridge/my-coach-robert-allen-helped-me-a-lot-he-had-more-influence-on-my/) [LaMarcus Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamarcus-aldridge/) > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Every coach in the league does an unbelievable job, and they're prepared and think you're going to outcoach people, or you think that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-d-antoni/every-coach-in-the-league-does-an-unbelievable-job-and-they-re/) [Mike D'Antoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-d-antoni/) > [Everything I have experienced and learned in football led me towards one day becoming a coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-carlos/everything-i-have-experienced-and-learned-in-football-led-me-towards/) [Roberto Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-carlos/) > [Often, organizations don't know how good they have it with a player or coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-van-gundy/often-organizations-don-t-know-how-good-they-have-it-with-a-player-or/) [Jeff Van Gundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-van-gundy/) > [I was just putting way too much pressure on myself. I was just trying to get that validation from my dad. It got so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-was-just-putting-way-too-much-pressure-on-myself-i-was-just-trying/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [A lot of the kids gave a lot of positive feedback about if I ever became a coach, they would love to play in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-hardaway/a-lot-of-the-kids-gave-a-lot-of-positive-feedback-about-if-i-ever/) [Penny Hardaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-hardaway/) > [I think it's very important to have contact with the players that I will coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerardo-martino/i-think-it-s-very-important-to-have-contact-with-the-players-that-i/) [Gerardo Martino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerardo-martino/) > [Of course, it's always fun when you're winning and you have a great coach, great organization, great trainers, great strength staff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-gurley/of-course-it-s-always-fun-when-you-re-winning-and-you-have-a-great/) [Todd Gurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-gurley/) > [No one likes a change of coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-azpilicueta/no-one-likes-a-change-of-coach/) [Cesar Azpilicueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-azpilicueta/) > [As far as being a coach, it's always fascinated me. It's a greater responsibility than most people give it credit for because you're dealing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-prefontaine/as-far-as-being-a-coach-it-s-always-fascinated-me-it-s-a-greater/) [Steve Prefontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-prefontaine/) > [Mourinho is a great coach. He has told me he believes in me, both in person but also publicly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/memphis-depay/mourinho-is-a-great-coach-he-has-told-me-he-believes-in-me-both-in/) [Memphis Depay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/memphis-depay/) > [I've grown up playing for some incredible coaches, and I don't think anybody's ever been as fortunate as I have in terms of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-brown/i-ve-grown-up-playing-for-some-incredible-coaches-and-i-don-t-think/) [Larry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-brown/) [Browse all 2,963 Coach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coach/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was growing up, I wanted to be a coach. I had people telling me you can't do this, you're not a great player. Be realistic. When I got rejection letters from colleges where I wanted to coach, my mom would say, \"You are going to make it someday. 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