Pressure can be defined as “any factor or combination of factors that increases the importance of performing well on a particular occasion”. Life introduces a number of events, which build pressures in all of us. The way pressure is handled varies from person to person. No one individual is the same and therefore, the actions a person takes to overcome or get through pressure is different for all. In sports, athletes have many types of pressures. But the greatest one of them all is perhaps the pressure to perform.

For a high school athlete, especially when they are part of a strong sports program, it is very competitive from start to finish. If you’re lucky enough to make the team, then it’s a constant battle. The first battle is to make the starting line up. After that, another battle begins, which is to keep your position. If you think this is the end of the battle, then you are sorely mistaken. The battle to perform and demonstrate to everyone; coaches, teammates, and fans the “why” you were given that sport over everyone else, is a constant throughout any sport athlete's life. It’s a competition amongst other teammates, most of which are your friends. It’s a competition with others and yourself because you can’t ever let your guard down.

You have to perform each and every day regardless of what other difficulties are taking place in your life. For this reason alone, it makes it so much more challenging for an athlete because they are held to a different standard than the average person. Sometimes people forget that an athlete is only human just as they are. And simply because they happen to be talented on the field doesn't take away from the hardships they have to struggle with when off the field. Perhaps it’s why athletes form such tight bonds with teammates and other players. It’s because only other athletes are able to truly understand this type of pressure. For a highschool student, it’s the opportunity to be given the exposure they need to get noticed by college coaching staff for the chance to play at the collegiate level. For a college athlete, it is the ability to play amongst the best of the best and still stand out and prove what you have to offer as a professional given the chance. For a professional athlete, it’s his family's source of income and lifestyle if their performance is lacking.