"And my father didn't have money for me to go to college. And at that particular time they didn't have black quarterbacks, and I don't think I could have made it in basketball, because I was only 5′ 11". So I just picked baseball."
Willie MaysRead
I was very fortunate to play sports. All the anger in me went out. I had to do what I had to do. If you stay angry all the time, then you really don't have a good life.
Interpretation
Engaging in sports can be a healthy outlet for anger and negativity, leading to a better life.
Willie Mays reflects on how sports provided him with a constructive way to channel his anger. He emphasizes that holding onto anger can negatively impact one's quality of life, and expresses gratitude for finding a healthy release through athletic pursuits.
In practice
In a motivational speech about sports and mental health.
"And my father didn't have money for me to go to college. And at that particular time they didn't have black quarterbacks, and I don't think I could have made it in basketball, because I was only 5′ 11". So I just picked baseball."
I remember the last season I played. I went home after a ballgame one day, lay down on my bed, and tears came to my eyes. How can you explain that? It's like crying for your mother after she's gone. You cry because you love her. I cried, I guess, because I loved baseball, and I knew I had to leave it.
Robinson was important to all blacks. To make it into the majors and to take all the name calling, he had to be something special. He had to take all this for years, not just for Jackie Robinson, but for the nation.
I think I was the best baseball player I ever saw.
In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated to your chosen sport. You must also be prepared to work hard and be willing to accept constructive criticism. Without one-hundred percent dedication, you won't be able to do this.
Defense to me is the key to playing baseball.
When I look back on my childhood, I wonder how I survived at all.
My story starts with my dad, a black boy born to a single mother in a small town in North Carolina. It starts with my parents meeting in Washington, D.C., in the '60s, at a time of incredible activism.
Life should be lived to the point of tears
One lifetime is not enough to live
Hope for the Best. Expect the worst. Life is a play. We're unrehearsed.
I am a vegetarian because I realized that even little chickens suffer pain and fear, experience a range of feelings and emotions, and are as intelligent as mammals, including dogs, cats, and even some primates.
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