I've heard it for basketball and soccer as well. (I also have a tickle in the back of my head that says I've heard a variant in some movie's kung-fu training scene. Keanu in the Matrix? This is going to bother me for hours now...)

Strikes me as a generic sports/life tip: anticipate and be there first.

Edit: Gauius's reply suggests I'm probably dead wrong about the movie. Never knew where the quote came from. Thanks.