Pleasant Valley High School students thrive in athletics, and many of these athletes feel the constant pressure. Putting on a straight face and presenting it well is one of the many difficulties of competing. Professional athletes deal with this type of stress all the time, especially if they are at the top of their games.

With the US Open coming up, there are some high expectations for two renowned tennis stars–Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic. Both athletes are currently ranked number one in the world heading into the prestigious tournament. Williams could potentially break the record for most Grand Slams, as well the record for most consecutive weeks as the world number one. Djokovic has the potential to capture many more titles as well. Many critics doubt victories for either of the two when it comes down to the finals.

The fame and glory of being the best in a sport comes with pressure. Williams and Djokovic continue to mask on poised structures, but tennis experts claim this to be an act. “It will be a more general, unfocused kind of pressure, and one that both of them will have every right to resent and may even deny the feeling,” Peter Bodo reveals about the untold truth of every talented athlete.

The label “number one” impacts sportsmen in a multitude of ways. Relating this strain of pressure to some local athletes, both Nicholas Yanek, junior, and Sriram Sugumaran, senior, expressed their thoughts on the subject.

As one of Pleasant Valley’s top distance runners, Yanek has his own ritual to handle the outside nerves and expectations before a race. “Nerves are sky-high at that point, because everyone is anticipating the gun and you don’t really know exactly how a race will ever go.” Yanek also added, “I also run song lyrics through my head, because I get more excited and it zones people out.” His favorite lyrics? “…specifically Beyoncé,” he added.

The Spartan girls’ and boys’ cross country teams are currently ranked number one in the state. This weekend they will be competing against some of the top teams in the nation. “We are definitely wanting to perform the best we can right now, however, we also know it’s just the beginning of the season and the big races aren’t until the end of the season,” Yanek said. He feels at ease about the expectations from his peers.

Some athletes deal with pressure in other ways. “It’s a fun experience [being number one]. I try to set a good example for the fifty other guys on the team. Especially this upcoming year, I feel the need to win both my singles and doubles matches to put my team’s spirits high,” the number one tennis player for Pleasant Valley, Sugumaran, stated.

Yanek and Sugumaran are both competitively involved in their two very different sports. They include that having a team atmosphere around them helps with the nerves. “We all use each other at practice to lead one another,” Yanek revealed.

Even though both cross country and tennis are individual sports, the best way to cope with the outside expectations and pressures is by feeling comfortable with the team.

Whether the athlete is a professional like Williams and Djokovic or a high school star like Yanek and Sugumaran, pressure is always out there. Each of these four athletes would agree–the best way to deal with pressure is to cherish every moment and ignore the outside comments.