My dad was my first coach and drove me extremely hard from a very young age.

I remember my dad who coached football would buy some of his players football shoes when they couldn't afford it.

The only other time I can recall my dad getting upset at me was when I missed a hockey practice. My parents were away so my buddy and I decided to skip it. I never told my dad about it but he found out from the coach.

My dad was a sports writer when I was younger and then he became just a general columnist. But I grew up with him literally getting into brawls with football coaches.

My dad has always been my coach. And I've spent so much time with him. So he's one of my best friends. And I can talk to him about everything.

I grew up in a small town in Illinois and my dad was a basketball coach. Thanks to him I have excellent fundamentals in both basketball and baseball.

My dad said if you become a tennis professional just make sure you get into the top hundred because you have to make a little bit of money. You make a living so you can pay your coaching and you know your travels.

You always give credit where credit is due - to high school coaches college coaches - but my dad the foundation that he built with me is where all of this came from. The speed the determination the mindset just the natural belief that you can do anything you put your mind to it all comes from my dad.

Failure is only postponed success as long as courage 'coaches' ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory.

In my school people liked the gym teachers because they were the football or soccer coaches. But look if they're cool they get respect.