20 motivational quotes for female athletes

Women have been excluded from a lot of opportunities over the years, and professional sports are no exception. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that women first competed in the Olympics and the 1920s that the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) recognized women’s basketball as a sport. It wasn’t until 1972 that Title IX was passed to ban gender discrimination in federally funded educational activities, which opened up a world of sports to female athletes.

Change has been relatively slow to come. Women’s basketball may have been recognized as a sport over 100 years ago, but it took another 60 years or so for the NCAA to sanction national championships. The first Women’s World Cup in soccer came even later, in the ‘90s.

We have a long line of inspirational female athletes to thank for these hard-won advances. And there’s still a long way to go. Women continue to fight for the same pay as men – not just in the sporting arena – and societies are reconsidering how they view gender to support and respect all identities.

Our foremothers have left us with a legacy of wise words. Below, we’ve compiled some of the most inspirational quotes from female role models who worked tirelessly to level the playing field. These trailblazers’ words make perfect captions for your social media posts and inspirational video overlays. Just be sure to give credit where credit is due.

20 motivational quotes by female athletes

If you just won a big game or match and want to let the world know on social media, accompany your post with words from a female athlete who inspires you. If you’ve just led your team to victory, include a leadership quote for sports enthusiasts. Even if you’ve suffered defeat, you can inspire other women in sports with quotes that remind them that gold medals aren’t everything.

Quotes about determination

So much of the game is mental, right? The following women athlete quotes will help you (and your followers) keep your eye on the prize:

• “Rather than focusing on the obstacle in your path, focus on the bridge over the obstacle.” – Mary Lou Retton
• “I don’t run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run toward it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your feet.” – Nadia Comăneci
• “Passion first and everything will fall into place.” – Holly Holm
• “You never know if you can actually do something against all odds until you actually do it.” – Abby Wambach
• “I believe in the impossible because no one else does.” – Florence Griffith Joyner
• “The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” – Wilma Rudolph
• “Don’t let people tell you that you can’t do something.” – Laurie Hernandez

Quotes about improvement

The only way to perform at your best is to train hard. Take it from some of the most talented soccer players, gymnasts and tennis players history’s ever seen.

• “Set realistic goals, keep re-evaluating, and be consistent.” – Venus Williams
• “You make your own luck. You make it in training.” – Simone Biles
• “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” – Billie Jean King
• “There’s no substitute for hard work. If you work hard and prepare yourself, you might get beat, but you’ll never lose.” – Nancy Lieberman
• “There are always new, grander challenges to confront, and a true winner will embrace each one.” – Mia Hamm
• “Erase the word ‘failure’ from your vocabulary. No case is ever truly closed, and no challenge is ever over.” – Mary Lou Retton
• “I always want to give more than I gave yesterday.” – Allyson Felix

Quotes about perspective

Having the right outlook on your athletic career helps you understand what’s important. It isn’t all about competition: it’s about learning and enjoying the game.

• “A failure isn’t a failure if it prepares you for success tomorrow.” – Lolo Jones
• “I'd rather regret the risks that didn't work out than the chances I didn't take at all.” – Simone Biles
• “You control your own wins and losses.” – Maria Sharapova
• “The ultimate goal should be doing your best and enjoying it.” – Peggy Fleming
• “You can’t always be the best. You have to remember that everyone makes mistakes sometimes.” – Aly Raisman
• “I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.” – Serena Williams

How to turn sports quotes into great social media captions

Ready to slam dunk your next post? Here are some best practices for creating a winning social media caption:

• Keep it brief: Remember that your viewers’ attention spans are far lower than they might be while watching a riveting game. On social media, people quickly scroll through their feeds. Think of it like a highlight reel. While some may pause to read the full text, others will focus more on the photo or video. Front-load your caption with the most essential information and avoid large blocks of text.
• Remember your vibe: What do you represent to your followers? Are you an athlete constantly inspiring others to take on the next challenge? Are you all about teamwork? Determine a voice for your posts that’s as authentic as you are. Choose quotes that work well with the theme your posts try to convey. For example, sports leadership quotes are perfect for coaches or captains.
• Use hashtags (correctly): Hashtags help drive organic engagement because anyone searching for those terms might stumble on your account, even if they weren’t already following you. Every major platform has best practices for hashtags, but a good general rule of thumb is to limit your hashtags to just a few relevant or trending ones.
• Tell fans who you are: You can’t fit your entire personality into a single post, so invite fans to learn more about you at the link in your bio. Use a Linktree URL to direct your fans to your website, other social media platforms and videos of you excelling at your game.