As an athlete you are faced with challenges in your life that make you stronger and fight harder for your dream. You understand that you need to push forward to achieve your goals and better yourself. If you lose sight of the direction you are going in, you'll never succeed and you will fail.

Over the years many different individuals have given athletes motivational quotes that have helped them to press and move forward. While some may have seemed so simple, others are designed to help them grow and become stronger as a whole.

They have given athletes that push that they need to win that race or score those extra points. While everyone wants to succeed its vital to understand that there is value and pride in losing as well. It is from these times you learn about who you are in your sport.

All of the following quotes come from different individuals in the realm of sports. Some of these are well known while others are more obscure gems. Their overall message is similar and important to the goal of motivation.

We'll explore the following 5 motivational quotes for athletes and why they are motivational.

1. "We must train from the inside out. Using our strengths to attack and nullify any weaknesses. It's not about denying a weakness may exist but about denying its right to persist." - Vince McConnell

This quote is motivational because it tells us that we need to focus on using our strengths to blast past our overall weakness. If we give in to our weaknesses then we lose who we are and the potential that is inside of us.

2. "Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible." - Doug Larson

What this quote is saying is that what we believe is impossible will stay that way. In our minds we create the impossibilities that arise and unless we can over look the impossible we will never succeed.

3. "To give any less than your best is to sacrifice a gift." - Steve Prefontaine

Here we are being told that when you don't allow yourself to give all of yourself to your dream you sacrifice it instead. This means that you waste a chance at allowing yourself to be great, and by taking it for granted, you lose part of the greatness behind it.

4. " It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog." - Magic Johnson

The motivation behind this quote is that in every one of us is the power to achieve our goals and dreams no matter any limitations we have. It all comes down to the individual's determination, they could be the shortest man on the basketball court or the smallest man in the boxing ring but if they have the strength of will and determination to win they will.

5. " The harder you work, the luckier you get." - Gary Player

This quote means success in sport or life in general is about hard work and perseverance. You will be successful more frequently in proportion to the effort you put in. Its not about luck its about hard work, determination and the will to push on. Ultimately the athletes who are "the luckiest" if you take a closer look are the hardest working.

As you can see from these different quotes the underlying message of each is to believe in yourself. In every way you are going to be the most important person in your success and not giving your all will end in failure for you every time.

Take some time and memorize each of these quotes. When you feel like the journey you are taking is getting too tough, or practice isn't going your way remember those are walls you are building. You won't always win, but those loses you do have will make you stronger overall. It is about building and growing as the person that you are. Allow yourself to grow and remember as long as you are giving your best, you never fail.