Chris Gardner Quotes

There's no doubt West Point impacted who I am... It has an enormous emphasis, not only on military aspects, but character development. Whether it's the honor code, or the interactions you have, both with the cadet leadership and the academy leadership, every place you are is a character test.

The moral values I've learnt in my life I've learnt through football.

Sports are such a great teacher. I think of everything they've taught me: camaraderie, humility, how to resolve differences.

What is learned on the athletic field is not forgotten, nor are the lessons of character that are forged there ever lost. Consider the contributions in the field of public life, business, law, medicine, and the military of those who actively participated in athletics.

My mother was in the Army Reserve for six years. She taught me the importance of following rules, finishing what I start, never giving up, leadership skills, teamwork, staying positive, motivated and how to pack the military way when I'm traveling!

We're trying to give a young man life lessons - sacrifice, commitment, teamwork, self-confidence, self-esteem. That's what this sport does for kids.

Now from a distance, I look back on what the Corps taught me: to think like men of action, and to act like men of thought!

I liked the military life. They teach you self-sufficiency early on. I always say that I learned most of what I know about leadership in the Marine Corps. Certain basic principles stay with you - sometimes consciously, mostly unconsciously.

The Marines gave me a really strong sense of discipline and a work ethic that kicks in at my job.

I was in the Boy Scouts for about four years until my troop disbanded. It is really one of the best activities youths can get involved in and nearly every scout I have known has been a class act due to the discipline the Scouts have instilled in them.

The true value of sport is more than the skills that young people learn.

Sport is and should remain a great school of life that supports young people in their personal development. It teaches respect for others and also for oneself.

I wouldn't trade those 10 years for anything. The Navy taught me a lot of things. It molded me as a man, and I made a lot of wonderful friends.

I wish I had played team sports. I think every kid should. Teamwork builds character - teaches people about leadership and cooperation.

We're all about trying to teach the kids life through basketball.

The Boys and Girls Club taught me a lot about sportsmanship, humility, self-respect.

My four years in the Marine Corps left me with an indelible understanding of the value of leadership skills.

I think some of my best theatre training has been in the Marine Corps. Not only meeting a bunch of characters, but growing up. You're in really adult situations at a young age, as far as being in charge of people.

You learn by playing a great team, and I'm talking about character things, not hockey technique.

I do genuinely believe that young people who play sport at a competitive level, sensibly controlled, sensibly organised, that has to be a good thing. It will teach them to win, it will teach them to lose with dignity and magnanimity - all the things you want. It's a pretty good metaphor for life.

One of the things I learned at the Naval Academy and the Marine Corps is we have to make tough decisions.

Football helped me tremendously, and that's why I want the sport to stay because it's so valuable. It's helped me be a better physician today, certainly. I've learned discipline. I've learned focus, teamwork, communication.

Kids in sports - it makes such an impact in life with the lessons that you learn.

We share the USTA's vision to promote and expand the game of tennis. I have been playing the game since I was 6 years old with my dad and five brothers, so I know firsthand how it teaches life lessons: integrity, dedication, and competitiveness.

During my engineering days, I learnt to value diversity, not to take shortcuts in life.