When I was growing up, I wanted to be a coach. I had people telling me you can't do this, you're not a great player. Be realistic. When I got rejection letters from colleges where I wanted to coach, my mom would say, "You are going to make it someday. You have something special within you and that is your spirit for life which will help you get to the top."

Dick Vitale

Categorized in : Player Mom Growing Up

The glory of sport is witnessing a well-coached team perform as a single unit, striving for a common goal and ultimately bringing distinction to the jersey the players represent.

Dick Vitale

team basketball sports

A winner is someone who can look in the mirror at the end of the day and say in pursuit of my goal and dreams I gave my best.

Dick Vitale

mirrors goal dream

Life is simple. Make good decisions and good things happen. Make bad decisions and bad things happen.

Dick Vitale

decision simple life-is

An All-American is an ordinary person with an extraordinary desire to excel. You don't get to the top of the mountain by just dreaming. It's nice to dream. But it's the work ethic and pride that makes you get to that mountain top and that level of success.

Dick Vitale

nice pride dream

A loser is someone who makes excuses and alibis and blames everyone else for their losses and failures.

Dick Vitale

blame loser loss

Life has good and bad times. And to get through them you have to battle. Life is not all smooth. I've had my bumps and bruises, like anybody, but I've always tried to look at life like a glass that's half full.

Dick Vitale

glasses battle looks

One day to see that headline, not that someone won a basketball championship, but to see that a cure for cancer has been found, will be a great day for mankind.

Dick Vitale

great-day cancer basketball

I learned from my mom and dad, who didn't have a formal education but had doctorates of love. They told me that if you gave 110 percent all the time, a lot of beautiful things will happen. I may not always be right, but no one can ever accuse me of not having a genuine love and passion for whatever I do.

Dick Vitale

dad mom beautiful

Coaching to me is the ultimate high, especially when you have a game plan and you see that game plan executed to perfection. To see those players take what you put in front of them in preparation and turn it into a masterpiece - it doesn't get any better than that.

Dick Vitale

player perfection games

People that don't know me think that basketball is my life 24/7. Trust me, there is much more to my life. My number one priority in my life is my family.

Dick Vitale

basketball numbers thinking

Twelve for 23... It doesn't take a genius to see that's under 50 percent.

Dick Vitale

percent twelve genius

My perfect day is to wake up with all kinds of energy and enthusiasm for the day, have a list of what I want to achieve, and at the end of the day look in the mirror and think man, this has been perfect. Everything I planned became a reality.

Dick Vitale

men reality thinking

I have my Master's Degree but I learned more at my dinner table than any class I ever took. My dad would come home from the sweat factory and put the money on the table and say Mea, here is some money for insurance and food and we always had that little extra for Friday night pizza at Barcelona's.

Dick Vitale

friday dad home

Looking back, I remember telling my daughters that we didn't have money, pizzazz and a lot of the things we have today, but we had so much love and we lived like millionaires.

Dick Vitale

pizzazz daughter today

It's the greatest achievement I've ever witnessed in all my years of being a coach and a television personality. I really, absolutely have been blown away.

Dick Vitale

achievement personality years

Today in coaching, it's a two-way street. They can fire you whenever they want. Bottom line: It's all about what you can do to better yourself professionally. This is a better move.

Dick Vitale

fire two moving

John Wooden has been a vital force in the lives of many with his inspirational messages. He represents all the elements necessary to be a winner in the Game of Life, which makes him the perfect person to write this book filled with lessons. Coach Wooden has been a mentor to people in every walk of life.

Dick Vitale

games writing book

It was tough getting fired by the NBA. I really didn't know where I was going, until [ESPN] called me. I said, "Hey, 'ESPN?' Never heard of it. It sounds like a disease." Now I have that same disease as a sports fanatic. All this sports madness we didn't have years ago, now I'm very blessed and fortunate to be part of it.

Dick Vitale

blessed sports years

My childhood was epitomized by my parents who were uneducated but had a doctorate in love. My dad pressed coats and through my mom and dad I learned about love, family and respecting people. They never went to high school but they had within them every element that makes a great American. They had pride and a great work ethic and they knew how to do things the right way.

Dick Vitale

dad mom school

Glue guys aren't superstars. They're not the No. 1 option. They just do things only coaches really appreciate. The stars get the headlines, but glue guys help you get in the winner's circle. I don't think you can win without having that kind of player.

Dick Vitale

stars player winning