Ernie Els Quotes

When I was about 18, I started to think that I could have a long sporting career.

I was a judo athlete, while taking modeling as my side job, before I eventually quit my professional sports career over a knee injury.

Even though I play a professional sport now, I love college baseball.

I would love to be a professional athlete. When I was living in Mexico as a teenager, I did seven years of gymnastics and went to the Junior Olympics. I was getting to the level of going to the international competitions, but I was only 14, and my parents were really worried because they did not want that to be my life.

My parents wanted me to become a national athlete.

I still feel that in India we look upon sports as a recreational activity - which it is - but people have to understand that there is a career in sports. It's not just necessary to be a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer, as most of us Indians appear to think that our children should grow up to be.

My mum and dad are both sportspeople and know what's it all about. They know it's hard work, but they also know what it takes to become a professional athlete. I don't think - without their help, I wouldn't have got this far.

I've always dreamed of being a professional athlete.

Whether I'd stopped playing professionally at 17 - or if I stop at 35 - tennis will always be a part of my life.

I was a professional tennis player in my teens. I played mostly in Europe. I was top 10 in the world in juniors, and then I messed up my back. I had three herniated discs and that put a stop to it.

Unless you're a vegan freak of nature like Tony Gonzalez, I don't think you can play sports much past your early 30s.

When I was playing I never wished I was doing anything else. I think being a professional athlete is the finest thing a man can do.

I was an All-American in wrestling in high school, was National Champion in Chinese kickboxing in 1999 and have spent a lot of time around professional athletes, which includes my eight-plus years as CEO of a sports nutrition company.

The N.B.A. is not an easy job. As you get older, you play this game for 82 games a year, and you play 11 or 12 years, your body tends to break down.

I've been a professional rugby player all my life; I don't really know anything different.

I had grand visions of being in professional sports. But when reality set in, I went, 'Oh, OK. I'll just move to Hollywood and be an actor.' I didn't want to look back on my life and wonder, 'What if I had done this? Or I had done that?'

There is no correlation between a childhood success and a professional athlete.

I kind of wanna be pro basketball, pro skateboarder.

The thing about the NBA, any pro sport, is, guys don't know how to take care of their body.

First of all, I really never imagined myself being a professional athlete.

Soccer and cricket were my main sports growing up. I had trials as a soccer player with a few clubs interested, Crystal Palace being one, but it was cricket which became my chosen profession.

I get very into my sports.

It's no surprise that I ended up in sportscasting. I lived this world with my father, Mike Storen. Dad was a sports executive for most of my childhood.

I've been a sports fan all my life, and like most other actors, I'm convinced I could have been a pro athlete if Hollywood hadn't come calling.

I'd just like to be good at sports. I'm extremely competitive with absolutely nothing to back it up.