--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I love to play big games, it makes you a…" description: "\"I love to play big games, it makes you a bigger player.\" — Rafael van der Vaart" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/rafael-van-der-vaart-18099_big_i-love-to-play-big-games-it-makes-you-a_1165881.jpg" --- # I love to play big games, it makes you a bigger player. ![“I love to play big games, it makes you a bigger player.” quote by Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/rafael-van-der-vaart-18099_big_i-love-to-play-big-games-it-makes-you-a_1165881.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/rafael-van-der-vaart-18099_big_i-love-to-play-big-games-it-makes-you-a_1165881.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/rafael-van-der-vaart-18099_big_i-love-to-play-big-games-it-makes-you-a_1165881.jpg) > “I love to play big games, it makes you a bigger player.” [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Engaging in high‑stakes challenges expands one's abilities and confidence, turning the player into a larger presence. **In simple terms:** Big challenges make you bigger. Key Takeaway Seek big challenges to grow. Themes competition growth confidence risk-taking Mood energetic ambitious Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - skill mastery - team leadership - entrepreneurial ventures Key Concepts sports psychology personal development leadership Questions to Reflect On - What big game will you play next? - How do you balance risk with preparation? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on big games can neglect fundamentals and lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-game/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [To be fighting at European level, you need players who know how to play in the big games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xabi-alonso/to-be-fighting-at-european-level-you-need-players-who-know-how-to/) [Xabi Alonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xabi-alonso/) > [You want to play in big games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcginn/you-want-to-play-in-big-games/) [John McGinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcginn/) > [I think I've been fortunate to play in some big games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-jones/i-think-i-ve-been-fortunate-to-play-in-some-big-games/) [Mac Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-jones/) > [I want to play in big games from the beginning and not just in the Bundesliga when everything is already decided.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xherdan-shaqiri/i-want-to-play-in-big-games-from-the-beginning-and-not-just-in-the/) [Xherdan Shaqiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xherdan-shaqiri/) > [Every footballer wants to play in big games, in front of full houses, live on the telly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-maddison/every-footballer-wants-to-play-in-big-games-in-front-of-full-houses/) [James Maddison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-maddison/) > [You want to play in the big games, you want to play for a big club and to play with pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mignolet/you-want-to-play-in-the-big-games-you-want-to-play-for-a-big-club-and/) [Simon Mignolet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mignolet/) > [If you want trophies, they don't get given to you, you have to earn them, you have to play well in big games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/if-you-want-trophies-they-don-t-get-given-to-you-you-have-to-earn/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [When I would play in big games at Ohio State, if the Goodyear Blimp was there, you knew it was a big-time game against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-herbstreit/when-i-would-play-in-big-games-at-ohio-state-if-the-goodyear-blimp/) [Kirk Herbstreit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-herbstreit/) > [You can't play enough golf or do any of those other things that fill that kind of excitement that coaching gave me in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-shula/you-can-t-play-enough-golf-or-do-any-of-those-other-things-that-fill/) [Don Shula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-shula/) > [I've been fortunate enough to have some big games as both a player and a manager.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-bruce/i-ve-been-fortunate-enough-to-have-some-big-games-as-both-a-player/) [Steve Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-bruce/) > [I like these big games, hot games, they motivate me more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-felix/i-like-these-big-games-hot-games-they-motivate-me-more/) [Joao Felix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-felix/) > [I'm confident in myself, either way. I've pitched big games all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-beckett/i-m-confident-in-myself-either-way-i-ve-pitched-big-games-all-my-life/) [Josh Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-beckett/) > [My teammates don't see it, but deep down I find it tough to sit there and not influence big games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cahill/my-teammates-don-t-see-it-but-deep-down-i-find-it-tough-to-sit-there/) [Gary Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cahill/) > [I love playing in these big games where everyone's watching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-lawrence/i-love-playing-in-these-big-games-where-everyone-s-watching/) [Trevor Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-lawrence/) > [I've pitched in a lot of big games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-pettitte/i-ve-pitched-in-a-lot-of-big-games/) [Andy Pettitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-pettitte/) ## More by Rafael van der Vaart > [But Tottenham is pure football and pure people... nice, warm people. That's why I like Tottenham. And everybody who comes to the stadium can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/but-tottenham-is-pure-football-and-pure-people-nice-warm-people-that/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [I like to relax and watch TV and play with my little boy. I like to play some tennis as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/i-like-to-relax-and-watch-tv-and-play-with-my-little-boy-i-like-to/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [My idol was always Romario. He was playing in Holland at the time and I loved him. His skills, technique, I loved him he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/my-idol-was-always-romario-he-was-playing-in-holland-at-the-time-and/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [I think it's important to know what you're going to do with the ball before it comes to you. So you're always thinking before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/i-think-it-s-important-to-know-what-you-re-going-to-do-with-the-ball/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [When you put something on Instagram, the English people are always so positive. As a player, you need that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/when-you-put-something-on-instagram-the-english-people-are-always-so/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [I think you have to play your own game and sometimes people don't realise that the play-maker runs the most kilometres on the pitch!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/i-think-you-have-to-play-your-own-game-and-sometimes-people-don-t/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [I never had anything against Arsenal, but when I joined Spurs I tried to learn about the club's traditions and I soon found out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/i-never-had-anything-against-arsenal-but-when-i-joined-spurs-i-tried/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [The way I played, Tottenham was the best phase of my career. It's always a warm feeling when I think back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/the-way-i-played-tottenham-was-the-best-phase-of-my-career-it-s/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [When your relationship is good, you can tell somebody the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/when-your-relationship-is-good-you-can-tell-somebody-the-truth/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [If you start thinking about stats it can get too complicated and you just have to go out there and play your game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/if-you-start-thinking-about-stats-it-can-get-too-complicated-and-you/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [It's really important that when you come to a club, you know the history. My dream was always Real Madrid or Barcelona, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/it-s-really-important-that-when-you-come-to-a-club-you-know-the/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [Football is important but it's not the most important thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/football-is-important-but-it-s-not-the-most-important-thing/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [Every time I walked into White Hart Lane, I got goosebumps. I felt so privileged to play there, to make the people happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/every-time-i-walked-into-white-hart-lane-i-got-goosebumps-i-felt-so/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [I think it's a good match, Dutch players playing in England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/i-think-it-s-a-good-match-dutch-players-playing-in-england/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [When I lose the fun in football, it's better to quit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/when-i-lose-the-fun-in-football-it-s-better-to-quit/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) [Explore all 35 Rafael van der Vaart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) ## More Big quotes > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [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/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [I always want to do a big finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/i-always-want-to-do-a-big-finale/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/) [Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/) > [I think a big part of success in football is mental, not physical. How you are inside your head matters more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iker-casillas/i-think-a-big-part-of-success-in-football-is-mental-not-physical-how/) [Iker Casillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iker-casillas/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Making sure that people have access to preventive medicine for the first time ever as a nation? That's a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/making-sure-that-people-have-access-to-preventive-medicine-for-the/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [What I know about Ali Krieger is no moment is ever going to be too big for her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-ellis/what-i-know-about-ali-krieger-is-no-moment-is-ever-going-to-be-too/) [Jill Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-ellis/) Browse all 12,477 Big quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I love to play big games, it makes you a bigger player.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rafael van der Vaart" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/i-love-to-play-big-games-it-makes-you-a-bigger-player/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/i-love-to-play-big-games-it-makes-you-a-bigger-player/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/rafael-van-der-vaart-18099_big_i-love-to-play-big-games-it-makes-you-a_1165881.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/rafael-van-der-vaart-18099_big_i-love-to-play-big-games-it-makes-you-a_1165881.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/rafael-van-der-vaart-18099_big_i-love-to-play-big-games-it-makes-you-a_1165881.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I love to play big games, it makes you a bigger player.” — Rafael van der Vaart", "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": "Rafael van der Vaart", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I love to play big games,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/i-love-to-play-big-games-it-makes-you-a-bigger-player/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/i-love-to-play-big-games-it-makes-you-a-bigger-player/#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 } } ] } ```