Sports is one of the most important parts of our culture in the United States. A vast majority of people in our country grew up playing an organized team sport and even if they didn't participate in an organized team sport, they probably played a sport at school growing up or in the nearest park or schoolyard. Sport is part of human nature and exists everywhere in the world, even in the most protected and closed countries. Although it's all fun and games, when one reaches a certain level it can seem to transform into something very different. It becomes a lifestyle for those who make it far enough, and in some cases it becomes a career and a way to make money. So, not only do you have to play in front of thousands of hostile fans all the time, but you're also expected to play in a calm environment. high level every time you step on that playing surface. The resulting pressure is something some people dream of, but for others, it's something that can make them break down and almost collapse. There is a difference, mentally, between athletes who continue to succeed and thrive in this atmosphere and those who collapse. An athlete's healthy psyche can be the strongest weapon, and a weak weapon can be his downfall. Many of the world's leading psychologists work with athletes to help them maintain stable mental well-being and many of the world's best athletes are the ones who seek help. of these psychologists. In JBM Clark's journal, Sports Psychology, he discusses the stereotype that baseball players are superstitious; he says, "As a class, American baseball players are probably more susceptible to 'curses' than any other body of professional players in the world" (Clark 61). A 'jinx' is something that would cause a streak of bad luck for a player...... middle of paper ...... different kinds of adversity an athlete will go through, the best thing he can do what needs to be done, which is keep your head straight. With the help of psychologists trained to help athletes, this is possible and will help them stay competitive through success and failure. Works Cited Clark, JBM (1930). Sports psychology. The North American Review, 230(1), 60-61. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25113590 Reese, LMS, Pittsinger, R., & Yang, J. (2012). Effectiveness of psychological intervention following a sports injury. Journal of Sports and Health Sciences, 1(2), 71-79. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254612000415Sarkar, M. and Fletcher, D. (2013). How should we measure psychological resilience in sports performers?. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 17(4), 264-280. doi:10.1080/1091367X.2013.805141