Under Pressure

Pressure- The burden of physical or mental distress. The constraint of circumstance. The weight of social or economic imposition. Sounds terrible doesn’t it? Pressure affects each one of us differently. Athletes like Larry Bird, Joe Montana, Tiger Woods, and Kevin Vandam excel when they are under pressure. This is why they are superstars. They are able to harness this feeling and turn it into something good. This is when their true athletic ability shines through. I have never been under the kind of pressure that these superstars have been in but I have had my fair share of it. In high school there was pressure on the basketball court and on the track field. I learned to face the pressure head on and it has made me a better person today. Besides all of the pressures of everyday life, I am faced again with another event that has some pressure bearing down on me. Here is the situation. I am sitting in twelfth place in the B.A.S.S. Southern Open Division. The last event is on Lake Wheeler in Alabama. If I make the cut in this event I will more than likely qualify for the B.A.S.S. Elite Series. If I get lucky enough to win the tournament I will make the Bassmaster Classic. Both of these things are what I have dreamed about since I was a young boy. Now I have a legitimate chance to make that dream a reality. This one tournament could change my life forever. That is pressure. Since May that is all I have thought about. With only weeks away from the tournament I believe I have come to peace with all of this. The bottom line is that I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If I do not do well, I still will have my job, my boat, and especially my family that has stood beside me on this incredible journey. The only thing is my competitive nature that wants to win. Either way in three weeks this will all be over. I can’t wait!!!