--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's always a little bit of…" description: "\"There's always a little bit of anticipation - some people call it nerves - the night before, and although I always slept pretty well before big matches..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/867/glenn-mcgrath-7662_anticipation_there-s-always-a-little-bit-of-anticipat_2759318.png" --- # There's always a little bit of anticipation - some people… ![“There's always a little bit of anticipation - some people call it nerves - the night before, and although I always slept pretty well before big matches, you want to be on edge a little bit to get the best out of yourself.” quote by Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/867/glenn-mcgrath-7662_anticipation_there-s-always-a-little-bit-of-anticipat_2759318.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/867/glenn-mcgrath-7662_anticipation_there-s-always-a-little-bit-of-anticipat_2759318.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/867/glenn-mcgrath-7662_anticipation_there-s-always-a-little-bit-of-anticipat_2759318.png) > “There's always a little bit of anticipation - some people call it nerves - the night before, and although I always slept pretty well before big matches, you want to be on edge a little bit to get the best out of yourself.” [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being slightly nervous before a big event can sharpen focus and improve performance, but too much anxiety may hinder it. **In simple terms:** A little nerves can boost performance if balanced. Key Takeaway Embrace manageable nerves for peak performance. Themes sports psychology performance mindset pre‑competition confidence Mood determined focused energized Type motivational advice sports When to use this quote - athletes preparing for a crucial game - public speakers before a keynote - students before exams - performers before a concert - executives before a major pitch Key Concepts arousal theory optimal anxiety flow state Questions to Reflect On - How do you channel nervous energy into focus? - What techniques keep nerves at a productive level? A Different Perspective Excessive anxiety can cause over‑thinking and reduce effectiveness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I always try to be optimistic, but not to the point where I'm getting on people's nerves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cannon/i-always-try-to-be-optimistic-but-not-to-the-point-where-i-m-getting/) [Nick Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cannon/) > [Always do your best never give up sometimes people get on your last nerves but don't pay attention and just do it c:](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/always-do-your-best-never-give-up-sometimes-people-get-on-your-last/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've always had a thing for playing in front of people, and the nerves never really creep in too much for some reason for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-sock/i-ve-always-had-a-thing-for-playing-in-front-of-people-and-the-nerves/) [Jack Sock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-sock/) > [I don't travel very well: people get on my nerves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/i-don-t-travel-very-well-people-get-on-my-nerves/) [Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/) > [I'm the Michael Jordan of getting on people's nerves. -Si](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duck-dynasty/i-m-the-michael-jordan-of-getting-on-people-s-nerves-si/) [Duck Dynasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duck-dynasty/) > [Playing main-draw matches helps, and playing in front of crowds and playing in big matches definitely helps, getting them all under your belt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-sock/playing-main-draw-matches-helps-and-playing-in-front-of-crowds-and/) [Jack Sock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-sock/) > [It's obviously important for the English national team if you have a lot of players playing big matches. You are more mature and know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-davids/it-s-obviously-important-for-the-english-national-team-if-you-have-a/) [Edgar Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-davids/) > [This year its just about winning the big matches because if youre going to get into the top 20 then youve got to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/this-year-its-just-about-winning-the-big-matches-because-if-youre/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [You have to be savvy. You have to be tactically aware, because that's what makes the difference in the big matches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-southgate/you-have-to-be-savvy-you-have-to-be-tactically-aware-because-that-s/) [Gareth Southgate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-southgate/) > [I think I have a lot of experience, especially of the big matches, and that is an advantage always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bastian-schweinsteiger/i-think-i-have-a-lot-of-experience-especially-of-the-big-matches-and/) [Bastian Schweinsteiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bastian-schweinsteiger/) > [When you don't play those big matches for a few years, it's tough to play back-to-back after that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-wawrinka/when-you-don-t-play-those-big-matches-for-a-few-years-it-s-tough-to/) [Stan Wawrinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-wawrinka/) > [I love to play big matches. I think it's that that keeps the fire in me, keeps me on alert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gael-monfils/i-love-to-play-big-matches-i-think-it-s-that-that-keeps-the-fire-in/) [Gael Monfils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gael-monfils/) > [I like to play in the big matches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-partey/i-like-to-play-in-the-big-matches/) [Thomas Partey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-partey/) > [I like the big matches against the greatest players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kvitova/i-like-the-big-matches-against-the-greatest-players/) [Petra Kvitova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kvitova/) > [Many books have been written about what the X-factor is, what separates people who win big matches versus those who struggle. Some of it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-courier/many-books-have-been-written-about-what-the-x-factor-is-what/) [Jim Courier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-courier/) ## More by Glenn McGrath > [I had always had the same pre-match routine that I went through every day - get up, go down for a swim and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/i-had-always-had-the-same-pre-match-routine-that-i-went-through-every/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [An Australian prime minister once said that his job was the second most important job in the country - behind being captain of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/an-australian-prime-minister-once-said-that-his-job-was-the-second/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [I always wondered if I would know the right time to retire. After that first Ashes Test in Brisbane in 2006 I had no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/i-always-wondered-if-i-would-know-the-right-time-to-retire-after-that/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [If you've got one bowler - particularly a fast bowler - who is really aggressive, all over the opposition, he brings the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/if-you-ve-got-one-bowler-particularly-a-fast-bowler-who-is-really/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [I'd prefer to do the safari on foot, like they did in the old days and just take the camp with you, not driving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/i-d-prefer-to-do-the-safari-on-foot-like-they-did-in-the-old-days-and/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [My experience with Australia in the 1997 Ashes series taught me that fighting back is a combination of technique and mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/my-experience-with-australia-in-the-1997-ashes-series-taught-me-that/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [You can't go on living in past and having regrets. Its better people have a positive influence on other people's lives than worry about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/you-can-t-go-on-living-in-past-and-having-regrets-its-better-people/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [I loved playing at Lord's - I ended up with 26 wickets at 11.50 from three Tests there. Maybe the wicket, because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/i-loved-playing-at-lord-s-i-ended-up-with-26-wickets-at-11-50-from/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [What's the difference between a good player and a great player? A good player plays well in his own conditions - a great player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/what-s-the-difference-between-a-good-player-and-a-great-player-a-good/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [The best thing about Lord's isn't the slope, it's just being there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/the-best-thing-about-lord-s-isn-t-the-slope-it-s-just-being-there/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [You still have to enjoy the tour games. If you go out there and just go through the motions, you can easily get into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/you-still-have-to-enjoy-the-tour-games-if-you-go-out-there-and-just/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [You expect to cop a bit wherever you go. In the past there hasn't been any racism or any racist comments that I've seen.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/you-expect-to-cop-a-bit-wherever-you-go-in-the-past-there-hasn-t-been/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [If you continually watch yourself do something well, it has a positive effect. If you sat down and watched yourself bowling, batting or fielding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/if-you-continually-watch-yourself-do-something-well-it-has-a-positive/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [My strength was probably more the mental side of the game rather than the skill side. I always had that self-belief that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/my-strength-was-probably-more-the-mental-side-of-the-game-rather-than/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [When I played in the Australia team the captains were all nerds. Allan Border was a nerd, Mark Taylor was a nerd, Steve Waugh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/when-i-played-in-the-australia-team-the-captains-were-all-nerds-allan/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) [Explore all 89 Glenn McGrath quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) ## More Anticipation quotes > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [Long intros are cool because there's a little bit of anticipation, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-lambert/long-intros-are-cool-because-there-s-a-little-bit-of-anticipation-you/) [Miranda Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-lambert/) > [Playing shortstop is 75 to 80 percent anticipation, knowing the hitter and the pitch being thrown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-boudreau/playing-shortstop-is-75-to-80-percent-anticipation-knowing-the-hitter/) [Lou Boudreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-boudreau/) > [Marriages are always moving from one season to another. Sometimes we find ourselves in winter--discouraged, detached, and dissatisfied; other times we experience springtime, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/marriages-are-always-moving-from-one-season-to-another-sometimes-we/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [“O I'm so afraid that it's true about to travel hopefully being better than to arrive. It might be all in the quest, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-brophy/o-i-m-so-afraid-that-it-s-true-about-to-travel-hopefully-being-better/) [Brigid Brophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-brophy/) > [“If you come at four in the afternoon, I'll begin to be happy by three.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-come-at-four-in-the-afternoon-i-ll-begin-to-be-happy-by-three/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Science is not a system of certain, or -established, statements; nor is it a system which steadily advances towards a state of finality... And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/science-is-not-a-system-of-certain-or-established-statements-nor-is/) [Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/) > [\[It is hard to know what is good luck and what isn't and therefore whether we should be happy or sad about it. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelig-pliskin/it-is-hard-to-know-what-is-good-luck-and-what-isn-t-and-therefore/) [Zelig Pliskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelig-pliskin/) > [The so called unconscious inferences can be traced back to the all-preserving memory, which presents us with parallel experiences and hence already knows the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-so-called-unconscious-inferences-can-be-traced-back-to-the-all/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [ The only thing is that ordinarily when I do dance with \[women\] they think I am suddenly going to throw them over a table… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-kelly/the-only-thing-is-that-ordinarily-when-i-do-dance-with-women-they/) [Gene Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-kelly/) > [Many live in dread of what is coming. Why should we? The unknown puts adventure into life. ... The unexpected around the corner gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-stanley-jones/many-live-in-dread-of-what-is-coming-why-should-we-the-unknown-puts/) [E. Stanley Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-stanley-jones/) > [The pilot who is always dreading a rock or a tempest must not complain if he remain a poor fisherman. We must at times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-metastasio/the-pilot-who-is-always-dreading-a-rock-or-a-tempest-must-not/) [Pietro Metastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-metastasio/) > [I am honoured to be asked to take on this role, especially as it comes at such an integral time for our relationship with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-boateng/i-am-honoured-to-be-asked-to-take-on-this-role-especially-as-it-comes/) Paul Boateng > [“I can handle Evil, but I cannot handle Anticipation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabbo-de-la-parra/i-can-handle-evil-but-i-cannot-handle-anticipation/) [Gabbo De La Parra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabbo-de-la-parra/) > [Hope is itself a species of happiness...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/hope-is-itself-a-species-of-happiness/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) Browse all 758 Anticipation quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's always a little bit of anticipation - some people call it nerves - the night before, and although I always slept pretty well before big matches, you want to be on edge a little bit to get the best out of yourself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Glenn McGrath" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/there-s-always-a-little-bit-of-anticipation-some-people-call-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anticipation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/there-s-always-a-little-bit-of-anticipation-some-people-call-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/867/glenn-mcgrath-7662_anticipation_there-s-always-a-little-bit-of-anticipat_2759318.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/867/glenn-mcgrath-7662_anticipation_there-s-always-a-little-bit-of-anticipat_2759318.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/867/glenn-mcgrath-7662_anticipation_there-s-always-a-little-bit-of-anticipat_2759318.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's always a little bit of anticipation - some people call it nerves - the night before, and although I…” — Glenn McGrath", "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": "Glenn McGrath", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's always a little bit of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/there-s-always-a-little-bit-of-anticipation-some-people-call-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/there-s-always-a-little-bit-of-anticipation-some-people-call-it/#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 } } ] } ```