--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mediocre athletes that tried like hell to…" description: "\"Mediocre athletes that tried like hell to get good are the best coaches.\" — Mark Rippetoe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/mark-rippetoe-9495_athlete_mediocre-athletes-that-tried-like-hell-t_1981170.png" --- # Mediocre athletes that tried like hell to get good are the… ![“Mediocre athletes that tried like hell to get good are the best coaches.” quote by Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/mark-rippetoe-9495_athlete_mediocre-athletes-that-tried-like-hell-t_1981170.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/mark-rippetoe-9495_athlete_mediocre-athletes-that-tried-like-hell-t_1981170.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/mark-rippetoe-9495_athlete_mediocre-athletes-that-tried-like-hell-t_1981170.png) > “Mediocre athletes that tried like hell to get good are the best coaches.” [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Those who struggle intensely to improve become excellent mentors because they understand the learning process intimately. **In simple terms:** Hard‑working athletes make great coaches. Key Takeaway Seek teachers who have earned their expertise through effort. Themes training coaching perseverance Mood inspirational practical Type educational motivational When to use this quote - sports coaching - fitness training - career transitions - education Key Concepts skill acquisition mentorship Questions to Reflect On - What qualities do you value in a coach? - How does personal struggle shape teaching style? A Different Perspective Coaches who never faced difficulty may lack empathy for beginners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Athletes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletes/) [Bad ass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-ass/) [Best coaches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-coaches/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Motivational workout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-workout/) [Workout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workout/) ## Related quotes > [You are right to be wary. There is much bullshit. Be wary of me too, because I may be wrong. Make up your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/you-are-right-to-be-wary-there-is-much-bullshit-be-wary-of-me-too-2/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [There are no shortcuts. The fact that a shortcut is important to you means that you are a pussy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/there-are-no-shortcuts-the-fact-that-a-shortcut-is-important-to-you/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [Trust me, if you do an honest 20 rep program, at some point Jesus will talk to you. On the last day of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/trust-me-if-you-do-an-honest-20-rep-program-at-some-point-jesus-will/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [Golf has humbled, humiliated, and just about licked all the great athletes who tried it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-blaik/golf-has-humbled-humiliated-and-just-about-licked-all-the-great/) [Earl Blaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-blaik/) > [Everyone has the ability to accomplish unique feats, everyone. You choose this. Become someone great in one other life. Forget about failing to many.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-platz/everyone-has-the-ability-to-accomplish-unique-feats-everyone-you/) [Tom Platz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-platz/) > [That's the classic nature of people, though. 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A secret recipe that was handed down from Sandow to John Grimek to Paul Anderson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pulcinella/always-remember-this-there-is-only-one-recipe-for-strength-a-secret/) Steve Pulcinella > [You must understand that the workout does not actually produce muscular growth. The workout is merely a trigger that sets the body's growth mechanism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mentzer/you-must-understand-that-the-workout-does-not-actually-produce/) [Mike Mentzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mentzer/) ## More by Mark Rippetoe > [“Every barbell exercise that involves the feet on the floor and a barbell supported by the body will be in its best balance, both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/every-barbell-exercise-that-involves-the-feet-on-the-floor-and-a/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [Opinions are like phasers - everybody ought to have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/opinions-are-like-phasers-everybody-ought-to-have-one/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [“myofibrillar hypertrophy, more actin, myosin, and other associated proteins are added to those already existing in the cell. More contractile elements within the cell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/myofibrillar-hypertrophy-more-actin-myosin-and-other-associated/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [Big arms are fun, and if their training doesn't interfere with the rest of the program, wait till everybody's gone, like I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/big-arms-are-fun-and-if-their-training-doesn-t-interfere-with-the/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [Exercise is not a thing we do to fix a problem - it is a thing we must do anyway, a thing without which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/exercise-is-not-a-thing-we-do-to-fix-a-problem-it-is-a-thing-we-must/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [Your muscles cannot get "longer" without some rather radical orthopedic surgery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/your-muscles-cannot-get-longer-without-some-rather-radical-orthopedic/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [An adult male weighs at least 200 pounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/an-adult-male-weighs-at-least-200-pounds/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [You don't get big and strong from lifting weights - you get big and strong from recovering from lifting weights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/you-don-t-get-big-and-strong-from-lifting-weights-you-get-big-and/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [“If you insist on using a thumbless grip on the bench, you need to do it at home so that when the ambulance comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/if-you-insist-on-using-a-thumbless-grip-on-the-bench-you-need-to-do/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [I don't even like Greg Glassman. I don't have a cult like allegiance to the guy. I really don't like him. He's too hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/i-don-t-even-like-greg-glassman-i-don-t-have-a-cult-like-allegiance/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [Bodybuilding is men on a stage in their underwear wearing brown paint showing other men their muscles. It is training for appearance only, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/bodybuilding-is-men-on-a-stage-in-their-underwear-wearing-brown-paint/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [The hang clean is unweighted and is of little use to watch, except that it shows a problem known as a Donkey Kick. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/the-hang-clean-is-unweighted-and-is-of-little-use-to-watch-except/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [A weak man is not as happy as that same man would be if he were strong. This reality is offensive to some people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/a-weak-man-is-not-as-happy-as-that-same-man-would-be-if-he-were/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [You can't make people smarter. You can expose them to information, but your responsibility stops there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/you-can-t-make-people-smarter-you-can-expose-them-to-information-but/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) > [If every day of your life you are told by authority figures that the Earth is flat, you will be scared of falling off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/if-every-day-of-your-life-you-are-told-by-authority-figures-that-the/) [Mark Rippetoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) [Explore all 72 Mark Rippetoe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/) ## 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": "Mediocre athletes that tried like hell to get good are the best coaches.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Rippetoe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/mediocre-athletes-that-tried-like-hell-to-get-good-are-the-best/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Athlete" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/mediocre-athletes-that-tried-like-hell-to-get-good-are-the-best/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/mark-rippetoe-9495_athlete_mediocre-athletes-that-tried-like-hell-t_1981170.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/mark-rippetoe-9495_athlete_mediocre-athletes-that-tried-like-hell-t_1981170.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e16/mark-rippetoe-9495_athlete_mediocre-athletes-that-tried-like-hell-t_1981170.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mediocre athletes that tried like hell to get good are the best coaches.” — Mark Rippetoe", "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": "Mark Rippetoe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rippetoe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Mediocre athletes that tried like hell...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/mediocre-athletes-that-tried-like-hell-to-get-good-are-the-best/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rippetoe/mediocre-athletes-that-tried-like-hell-to-get-good-are-the-best/#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 } } ] } ```