Pressure

Sports are crazy are they not? People play a game for an income, the newspapers and news reports shed light on local teams daily. Yet, it is also a fun recreational activity that is inviting for all. How come so much emphasis is put on this subject? Why does there have to be so much pressure?

The higher up I've gone in sports the more pressure mounts on top of me. I started out playing MYFA football in the fourth grade, and nothing could have been more relaxed and carefree. Middle school comes around and you feel older. You are finally able to travel to other schools to play games, and have the first student section of your life (all ten of them). Then high school. Freshmen year you feel like a big kid, going around eastern Iowa representing your school. Sophomore year is one step better than that because you play directly in front of the varsity game, so the student section starts filling in right as leave the field. This year is varsity. This is the year you get the big student sections, thousands of fans at your games. The media is putting it on TV, your teammates get interviewed. The football team is the face of the school. Everyone has a response to the game whether positive or negative. How in so little time has the game I love been hyped up to something I've dreamed of?

The reason why I think so much hype and pressure is put on sports is because of the media, the reputation, and the pride of the school. Media tends to hype up everything. They like to make stories into a bigger deal than what they are so that they can make a good story. Their job is to hype up games and make everyone seem important in their own unique way. The reputation of the school is also added pressure. If you play for a school that expects winning and expects greatness, then players try and live up to that. They have a goal to achieve. If a school isn't known for a particular sport and then has a great season, its incredible the response the school sends off to them. They jump on the bandwagon and believe in their team. This is an incredible feeling for the team when this happens but applies a little pressure on their backs. And finally the pride that comes with it.

I use the word pride to describe what Kennedy High School has going on right now. The family stick. The purpose of that is to bond the team as one, but also represents every player on the team now and every player who ever wore a Kennedy football uniform. We invite three alumni back for every football game we play in order to incorporate them into our team. The pressure this adds is for us to make them proud. To make them remember Kennedy football and believe in us once again. Another thing I incorporate with pride is all of the younger players associated with Kennedy at either the elementary or middle school level. I used to be that kid. I used to look up to the varsity football team and think they were the greatest guys ever. When you play the game, you want to make those kids proud. You do it for them. You are seen as a role model to the whole program, and you use that to motivate yourself.

Pressure isn't always a bad thing, it's just something you must live with. Whether you want it or not it's going to be there. I've looked forward all my life for the two years I'm living right now. I'm not going to wish them away for anything. Throw all the pressure you got onto me, and I guarantee you I can handle it.