No one does grace under pressure like the one and only Mr. October, Reggie Jackson.
The figure skater who falls during their routine at the Olympics or the quarterback who throws an interception or the tennis player who double faults. Why? While there is tremendous pressure on these athletes, many of us manage to perform our jobs at a high level for decades without failing under pressure. So, the pro tennis player who cannot serve under pressure is a whole lot different than me double faulting in my weekly tennis match. This is their job. They are paid crazy amounts of money to perform under pressure and to see failure there is just pathetic to me.
I would guess that the only real difference between professional lawyers, doctors, engineers, and these athletes is age and experience and the fact that 50,000 people are not watching. The number of people watching does not impress me. This is their job. They have developed into pros in that setting. However, age and years of experience may be factors that the athletes simply cannot attain. Djokovic, Federer, Serena all made a splash early, but their grinding persistent success in destroying opponents made them legends.
Many of us have immense pressure to perform on a weekly if not monthly basis. Our success in our professional lives often depends on that performance. I just finished a trial. I may win or lose but I am certainly not going to forget to prepare or quail under pressure when giving an opening statement. Pressure is a privilege said Billy Jean King. Pressure is also something to be managed and prepared for.
There are athletes who rise to the pressure and perform on the big stage. I grew up as a New York Yankee fan and the owner, George Steinbrenner, called outfielder Dave Winfield “Mr. May”, which was trolling in the worst way. This contrasted with Reggie Jackson, whose nickname was Mr. October. You want players who perform in the playoffs in October, hence Mr. May was a way of saying Winfield was one who would fail under pressure.
In the words of one Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots, Do Your Job!