--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was an athlete when I was growing up." description: "\"I was an athlete when I was growing up.\" — Jeremy Renner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/jeremy-renner-4081_athlete_i-was-an-athlete-when-i-was-growing-up-2_2059301.jpg" --- # I was an athlete when I was growing up. ![“I was an athlete when I was growing up.” quote by Jeremy Renner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/jeremy-renner-4081_athlete_i-was-an-athlete-when-i-was-growing-up-2_2059301.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/jeremy-renner-4081_athlete_i-was-an-athlete-when-i-was-growing-up-2_2059301.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/jeremy-renner-4081_athlete_i-was-an-athlete-when-i-was-growing-up-2_2059301.jpg) > “I was an athlete when I was growing up.” [Jeremy Renner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-renner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Athletic experiences shape discipline and perspective throughout life. **In simple terms:** Being an athlete influences later life. Key Takeaway Leverage past sports discipline now. Themes discipline identity growth Mood thoughtful inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - coaching - teamwork - personal branding Key Concepts sports psychology career transition Questions to Reflect On - What lessons from sports apply to your current role? - How does past identity affect present choices? A Different Perspective Athletic mindset may not translate to all fields. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) ## Related quotes > [I was an athlete growing up. 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I'm growing into a new person with new interests and new goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-lewis/i-m-not-carl-lewis-the-athlete-any-more-i-m-growing-into-a-new-person/) [Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/) > [I always wanted to be an athlete growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-gronkowski/i-always-wanted-to-be-an-athlete-growing-up/) [Rob Gronkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-gronkowski/) > [I was an athlete growing up and I miss that. I miss hanging out with dudes and making raunchy jokes and telling stories, trading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pratt/i-was-an-athlete-growing-up-and-i-miss-that-i-miss-hanging-out-with/) [Chris Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pratt/) > [Shaquille O'Neal was probably my favorite athlete growing up. 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Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) ## More by Jeremy Renner > [It takes a lot out of you to do a stage play, but I'd love to do that. I'd love to continue to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-renner/it-takes-a-lot-out-of-you-to-do-a-stage-play-but-i-d-love-to-do-that/) [Jeremy Renner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-renner/) > [Building a house is like producing a movie. There's no right way to do it but a lot of wrong ways. 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Those stupid, stupid people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-renner/oh-all-those-ridiculous-people-with-zero-talent-who-spend-their-lives/) [Jeremy Renner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-renner/) [Explore all 116 Jeremy Renner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-renner/) ## More Athlete quotes > [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) > [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/) [Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/) > [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-the-first-openly-gay-athlete-playing-in-a/) [Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/) > [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [I don't want to say names, but there are certain companies I won't work with because of previous people they've worked with. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-don-t-want-to-say-names-but-there-are-certain-companies-i-won-t/) [Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/) > [We are like highly trained athletes, who never run a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/we-are-like-highly-trained-athletes-who-never-run-a-race/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) > [Treat yourself like an overweight, out of shape person and that's what you will be. Why not train and treat yourself like an athlete?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalene-johnson/treat-yourself-like-an-overweight-out-of-shape-person-and-that-s-what/) [Chalene Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalene-johnson/) [Browse all 2,455 Athlete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was an athlete when I was growing up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeremy Renner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-renner/i-was-an-athlete-when-i-was-growing-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Athlete" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-renner/i-was-an-athlete-when-i-was-growing-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/jeremy-renner-4081_athlete_i-was-an-athlete-when-i-was-growing-up-2_2059301.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/jeremy-renner-4081_athlete_i-was-an-athlete-when-i-was-growing-up-2_2059301.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/882/jeremy-renner-4081_athlete_i-was-an-athlete-when-i-was-growing-up-2_2059301.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was an athlete when I was growing up.” — Jeremy Renner", "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": "Jeremy Renner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-renner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was an athlete when I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-renner/i-was-an-athlete-when-i-was-growing-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-renner/i-was-an-athlete-when-i-was-growing-up/#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 } } ] } ```