Losing. What does losing really mean to any athlete who competes to win? Let me tell you one thing, it does not equate to failure. After ending my freshman college soccer season last year with a record of 15-1-3, nationally ranked, and a highly regarded and respected program, losing the first two games of my sophomore season was not something I expected or predicted to occur. Yes, I’m upset, confused, and a little (okay, a lot) bitter. Yes, I’m frustrated, pissed, and irritated. Yes, I’m at a loss for words, hurt, and plain old mad. But you know what else I’ve come to realize? I’m thankful. I’m thankful for beginning a season I’ve been looking forward to for months on end, training intensely for, and dreaming about since the second last season ended with a dose of losses because without these past two games, these past two defeats, and these past two heartbreaks, how could I ever truly appreciate winning the way I didn’t know how to last year? How could I ever expect to appreciate the achievement of working hard for something day in and day out without first not attaining what I set out to do? How could I ever reflect, learn, and grow? Yes, winning almost every game of my season last year was incredible and absolutely amazing, but losing…losing does not come without its purpose and has re-taught me how great the glory of victory truly feels. Nothing worth achieving in life ever comes without its hurdles and learning how to jump those hurdles is one of life’s greatest teaching moments. I cannot take the credit and imply I came to this conclusion myself, trust me, I’ve been quite the distraught and emotional athlete lately, but with the help of these 35 inspirations below, I have understood the true essence of playing sports, being an athlete, and why losing is necessary for any future success to come.

1. “The only way to prove that you’re a good sport is to lose.” – Ernie Banks

2. “I always felt that my greatest asset was not my physical ability, it was my mental ability.” – Bruce Jenner

3. “A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever.” – Mary Lou Retton

4. “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” – Vince Lombardi

5. “There may be people that have more talent than you, but theres no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” – Derek Jeter

6. “Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back… play for her.” – Mia Hamm

7. “When you’ve got something to prove, there’s nothing greater than a challenge.” – Terry Bradshaw

8. “Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” – Marv Levy

9. “I’ve learned that something constructive comes from every defeat.” – Tom Landry

10. “Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.” – Laird Hamilton

11. “Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.” – Mike Singletary

12. “You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours.” – Herb Brooks

13. “How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser.” – Lou Holtz

14. “The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before.” – Steve Young

15. “What makes something special is not just what you have to gain, but what you feel there is to lose.” – Andre Agassi

16. “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” – George Halas

17. “The hardest skill to acquire in this sport is the one where you compete all out, give it all you have, and you are still getting beat no matter what you do. When you have the killer instinct to fight through that, it is very special.” – Eddie Reese

18. “The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

19. “Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.” – Arnold Palmer

20. “To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.” – Picabo Street

21. “You find that you have peace of mind and can enjoy yourself, get more sleep, and rest when you know that it was a one hundred percent effort that you gave–win or lose.” – Gordie Howe

22. “Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.” – Larry Bird

23. “If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all?” – Joe Namath

24. “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden

25. “Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” – Lance Armstrong

26. “Adversity cause some men to break; others to break records.” – William A. Ward

27. “Some people say I have attitude – maybe I do…but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does – that makes you a winner right there. ” – Venus Williams

28. “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” – Babe Ruth

29. “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” – Muhammad Ali

30. “You’re never a loser until you quit trying.” – Mike Ditka

31. “Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding.” – Jim Valvano

32. “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

33. “Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.” – Dan Gable

34. “I never left the field saying I could have done more to get ready and that gives me piece of mind.” – Peyton Manning