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Mike Krzyzewski Quotes

Here’s yet, another “edition” of coach quotes and this time it’s all about Mike Krzyzewski quotes. Mike, also known as “Coach K” is a very successful Polish college coach who led Duke to 3 NCAA Championships.

He was also 3 times awarded Naismith College Coach of the Year. In 2005, he was selected to lead the USA national basketball team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Mike believes a lot in teamwork, thinking as one and believing in yourself.

Here they are.. 21 Mike Krzyzewski quotes

“Imagination has a great deal to do with winning.”

“I believe God gave us crises for some reason—and it certainly wasn’t for us to say that everything about them is bad. A crisis can be a momentous time for a team to grow—if a leader handles it properly.”

“When I had troubles, I’d go out – with basketball, you can do it by yourself, too. So you’d go out and shoot, and you’d fantasize.”

“Goals should be realistic, attainable, and shared among all members of the team.”

“Even though we want huge individual egos, our collective ego is unbelievable.”

“I always won in my imagination. I always hit the game-winning shot, or I hit the free throw. Or if I missed, there was a lane violation, and I was given another one.”

“I think you’re not a human being unless you have doubts and fears.”

“Two are better than one if two act as one.”

“I’ve tried to handle winning well, so that maybe we’ll win again, but I’ve also tried to handle failure well. If those serve as good examples for teachers and kids, then I hope that would be a contribution I have made to sport. Not just basketball, but to sport.”

“During critical periods, a leader is not allowed to feel sorry for himself, to be down, to be angry, or to be weak. Leaders must beat back these emotions.”

“Don’t do anything as an individual that will make you stand out from your teammates.”

“Once you win a National Championship, how do you do that again? How do you get the passion to do that again? We won it again right away, the next year. A lot of it had to do with the fact that I didn’t give myself an opportunity to enjoy the first one.”

“Too many rules get in the way of leadership. They just put you in a box. People set rules to keep from making decisions.”

“I had a really bad temper, when I was growing up. Sport helped me channel that temper into more positive acts.”

“Parents can really help, but they can also really hinder the development of their youngsters.”

“A basketball team is like the five fingers on your hand. If you can get them all together, you have a fist. That’s how I want you to play.”

“If what you have done yesterday still looks big to you. You haven’t done much today.”

“You have to work hard at staying in contact with your friends so that the relationships will continue and live on… Friendships, along with love, make life worth living.”

“I think some parents now look at a youngster failing as the final thing. It’s a process, and failure is part of the process. I would like it if the teacher and the parents would connect more. I think that used to be, but we’re losing a little bit of that right now.”

“Good sound habits are more important than rules – use concepts.”

“When you sub, tell player to give you three great minutes, and if you bust your butt, I’ll give you an extra minute.”

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