Standing in the blistering hot sun, I look down and shield my eyes from view as salty tears drip down my face. I made mistake yet again. I should’ve made the play. How could I be so stupid? All I had to do was catch the ball and toss it. Thoughts ring in my head as I trudge back to the dugout.
No matter the sport, all athletes deal with pressure, whether it comes from their coaches, their teammates, or themselves. Pressure to perform better is a staple to any sport. In lucky situations, pressure can enhance an athlete’s performance and force them to strive for perfection. However, more often than not, it does the opposite. Pressure kills passion.
The weight of expectation can turn a game into a test of self-worth. A single mistake can feel like a failure, and failure feels like the end of the world for athletes who are already crumbling. Athletes train endlessly, pushing themselves to the limit, only to be met with the nagging thought that it still isn’t enough. According to a study from the NCAA from 2020, “The data indicated rates of mental exhaustion, anxiety and depression have seen little change since fall 2020 and remain 1.5 to two times higher than identified before the COVID-19 pandemic.” The cause of increased mental exhaustion rates are due to anxiety, burnout, and pressure (NCAA).
What many people fail to realize is that this pressure is not completely external — it is also internal. No coach or teammate could ever be as harsh as the voice in an athlete’s own head. Every missed shot, every dropped pass, every loss loops in their mind, making them question whether they belong in the sport they once loved. The joy of competition is replaced by the fear of failure, and the game stops feeling like a game at all.
This kind of pressure builds over time and starts at a very young age. It starts very miniscule: a bad play there, a tough loss there. But slowly, the love for the game becomes hazy and fades. The sport that was once an escape becomes a source of stress. Some push through, using pressure as a motivation. Others crumble under the weight, walking away from something they once couldn’t imagine living without. In fact, 70% of kids drop out of organized sports by the age of 13, with stress and pressure playing a vital role, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (USA Today). Unfortunately, I contribute to this percentage. After playing recreational softball for 8 years, I quit. I quit for many reasons but one of the top reasons was pressure. I loved the sport dearly; however, pressure killed my passion.
Athletes at all levels must learn to navigate pressure in a way that keeps their passion alive rather than extinguishing it. Mental health resources, open conversations, and a shift in the culture surrounding sports can help prevent talented athletes from walking away due to overwhelming environmental expectations. After all, sports should be about more than just a performance–they should be about the love of the game.