Pressure is something that goes hand in hand with competitive sports. Pressure from parents, coaches, friends etc. No matter where it comes from, it is important and can be destructive. There are people that claim they perform well under pressure, I don't really believe that. I think it's more like they "performed" well under pressure.
People can only take so much pressure. I have seen time after time, good athletes leave their respective sports because of the pressure they get from being successful. For the most part, it is not really the bad athletes that I have seen give up under pressure. The pressure cracks down more so on the kids who show promise
Many times this pressure can come from parents who may be trying to live vicariously through their kids. I have personally seen the downfall of athletic careers step by step and it is never very pretty. Parents and coaches need to back off sometimes and realize what their kids may be going through.
It's hard enough to go throughout everyday life without the strains of outside pressure. Successful and competitive athletes put enough pressure on themselves and anything extra is truly unnecessary. The expectations that the outside world tag onto big name athletes is ridiculous. The standard is so high that people knowingly root for underdogs simply because they are the underdog. Many people just expect people like Roger Federer or Tiger Woods to win and don't appreciate the work that goes into it. As soon as they fall off, this pressure can be released.
I guess it is a strange cycle that the athletic world goes through but it is full of excitement and surprises. The pressures that surround athletes are a gift and a curse. It is nice to know that people care about you and expect things from you, but they are not you and don't know when something is too much. All of these aspects are a part of what makes sports so interesting.
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