The pressure to succeed helped softball player Cheyenne Rankin, junior, land a scholarship to Illinois University.
The pressure to succeed also affected Rankin because she quit another sport to focus on getting a scholarship.
“I quit basketball in order to focus on my grades and keep my softball scholarship,” Rankin said.
Freshman runner Lauren Frederick said she feels the same pressure after a cross country season in which she placed 12th at state.
 “I expect to go to state and do well this track season, so I don’t lower the standard I set for myself after cross country,” she said.
Karl Schmidt, assistant cross country and track coach, said athletes add pressure to themselves to repeat a good performance.
He also said coaches can also add pressure.
“If an athlete can do it once, we hope they can do it again, but coaches don’t add pressure intentionally,” he said.
Teammates also add some stress, Rankin said.
 “Teammates add pressure to a player because we expect more from each other, because they know when you aren’t doing your best,” she said
Frederick said she feels differently. 
“Teammates don’t add pressure because we are really supportive of each other,” she said.
Schmidt said that sports are not there to add pressure.
“Sports exist for athletes to learn work ethic, self discipline, and teamwork, not to add pressure,” Schmidt said.