--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started to play, all the coaches…" description: "\"When I started to play, all the coaches said it didn't make sense for me to try to play tennis because I was too small. They said I would never make it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/dominika-cibulkova-46580_because_when-i-started-to-play-all-the-coaches-s_504631.png" --- # When I started to play, all the coaches said it didn't… ![“When I started to play, all the coaches said it didn't make sense for me to try to play tennis because I was too small. They said I would never make it. But this was something that motivated me. I really wanted to make it.” quote by Dominika Cibulkova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/dominika-cibulkova-46580_because_when-i-started-to-play-all-the-coaches-s_504631.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/dominika-cibulkova-46580_because_when-i-started-to-play-all-the-coaches-s_504631.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/dominika-cibulkova-46580_because_when-i-started-to-play-all-the-coaches-s_504631.png) > “When I started to play, all the coaches said it didn't make sense for me to try to play tennis because I was too small. They said I would never make it. But this was something that motivated me. I really wanted to make it.” [Dominika Cibulkova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominika-cibulkova/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being told you can’t succeed can ignite determination and drive to prove doubters wrong. **In simple terms:** Criticism can fuel motivation. Key Takeaway Turn doubt into drive. Themes perseverance self‑belief overcoming obstacles Mood determined inspiring Type sports motivational When to use this quote - sports - career development - personal challenges Key Concepts Resilience mindset goal setting Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance confidence with humility? - What strategies keep you focused when faced with skepticism? A Different Perspective External doubt may also cause self‑doubt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Tennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennis/) ## Related quotes > [When I started to play tennis my mum told me to enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gael-monfils/when-i-started-to-play-tennis-my-mum-told-me-to-enjoy/) [Gael Monfils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gael-monfils/) > [Tennis is a small window. You're not going to have unlimited chances, unlimited opportunities. You can't waste time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-kyrgios/tennis-is-a-small-window-you-re-not-going-to-have-unlimited-chances/) [Nick Kyrgios](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-kyrgios/) > [I am paid to play, and the coaches are paid to plan, and that is what they have to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alun-wyn-jones/i-am-paid-to-play-and-the-coaches-are-paid-to-plan-and-that-is-what/) [Alun Wyn Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alun-wyn-jones/) > [One of the things I like to do is let the players play and the coaches coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nurse/one-of-the-things-i-like-to-do-is-let-the-players-play-and-the/) [Nick Nurse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nurse/) > [Tennis is a small world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-konta/tennis-is-a-small-world/) [Johanna Konta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-konta/) > [I started to play in the fourth grade and didn't score for, like, a whole year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-oden/i-started-to-play-in-the-fourth-grade-and-didn-t-score-for-like-a/) [Greg Oden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-oden/) > [I started to play, like all kids do, not as a goalkeeper. I liked scoring goals; in the end, it's all about scoring goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianluigi-buffon/i-started-to-play-like-all-kids-do-not-as-a-goalkeeper-i-liked/) [Gianluigi Buffon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianluigi-buffon/) > [I was maybe only 13 or 14 when I started to play junior tournaments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jana-novotna/i-was-maybe-only-13-or-14-when-i-started-to-play-junior-tournaments/) [Jana Novotna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jana-novotna/) > [I started to play football when I was about 10; my father brought me to one school because there were more pitches where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-started-to-play-football-when-i-was-about-10-my-father-brought-me/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [When I first started, I'd play to a few people. My mum would invite everyone she knew and the venue was filled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freya-ridings/when-i-first-started-i-d-play-to-a-few-people-my-mum-would-invite/) [Freya Ridings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freya-ridings/) > [I wish I had started to play the ukulele much earlier in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-skinner/i-wish-i-had-started-to-play-the-ukulele-much-earlier-in-life/) [Frank Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-skinner/) > [On my youth teams, I always pretty good. I guess I just really started to play with some of my peers around age 8…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-ingram/on-my-youth-teams-i-always-pretty-good-i-guess-i-just-really-started/) [Brandon Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-ingram/) > [When I started to play football as far I was concerned I just played football. I didn't want all the stuff around it, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-anelka/when-i-started-to-play-football-as-far-i-was-concerned-i-just-played/) [Nicolas Anelka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-anelka/) > [I was still on the bench at the beginning in Naples, then I started to play and I wanted to enjoy my moments. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dries-mertens/i-was-still-on-the-bench-at-the-beginning-in-naples-then-i-started-to/) [Dries Mertens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dries-mertens/) > [I started to play the guitar for a couple of years, which was fun. I still bring it out once in a while, could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-nowitzki/i-started-to-play-the-guitar-for-a-couple-of-years-which-was-fun-i/) [Dirk Nowitzki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-nowitzki/) ## More by Dominika Cibulkova > [You don't have to be big to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominika-cibulkova/you-don-t-have-to-be-big-to-be-great/) [Dominika Cibulkova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominika-cibulkova/) > [It is difficult to be yourself on court, as you become very involved in the match and very focused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominika-cibulkova/it-is-difficult-to-be-yourself-on-court-as-you-become-very-involved/) [Dominika Cibulkova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominika-cibulkova/) > [I spend days on my Xperia logging on Facebook chatting with my friends and family at home; I love listening to Rihanna and Pink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominika-cibulkova/i-spend-days-on-my-xperia-logging-on-facebook-chatting-with-my/) [Dominika Cibulkova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominika-cibulkova/) > [I really like the smell of the tennis balls, the new ones. I don't need to do it, but it's just my habit, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominika-cibulkova/i-really-like-the-smell-of-the-tennis-balls-the-new-ones-i-don-t-need/) [Dominika Cibulkova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominika-cibulkova/) > [Being able to speak to all my fans is really cool - you always hear people cheering for you on the court, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominika-cibulkova/being-able-to-speak-to-all-my-fans-is-really-cool-you-always-hear/) [Dominika Cibulkova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominika-cibulkova/) > [Tennis is such an individual and competitive sport, but it is great being part of a team and getting to know the girls outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominika-cibulkova/tennis-is-such-an-individual-and-competitive-sport-but-it-is-great/) [Dominika Cibulkova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominika-cibulkova/) > [I've always loved playing tennis. When I was 12, my parents decided that I should try to do it seriously. My father started to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominika-cibulkova/i-ve-always-loved-playing-tennis-when-i-was-12-my-parents-decided/) [Dominika Cibulkova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominika-cibulkova/) [Explore all 8 Dominika Cibulkova quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominika-cibulkova/) ## More Because quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/) [Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/) [Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I was contacted by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, MP, through the Pune Film Institute and offered the post in the NFDC. I accepted it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/i-was-contacted-by-rajyavardhan-singh-rathore-mp-through-the-pune/) [Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) Browse all 15,485 Because quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I started to play, all the coaches said it didn't make sense for me to try to play tennis because I was too small. 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