By Zachary Gross ’14, Sports Editor

There is no doubt that the New York Yankees are one of the most storied franchises in all of professional sports.  Throughout the ages, some of the greatest baseball players of all time have played for the Yankees including Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, and Lou Gehrig. They are the most consistent winners in all of professional sports with 18 American League East titles, 40 American League pennants, and 27 World Series Championships under their belt. Their fans are some of the most dedicated in the league, as shown by the fact that the Yankees were second in the league in attendance in 2012 with 43,733 fans per game. This had led the fans, who pay top dollar to watch their team, to demand greatness on a yearly basis. Yankees’ fans, with their team’s star-studded roster and high payroll, annually have the highest expectations in the league.

Yankees fans do not tolerate anything less than top-flight performance out of their well-paid stars. A clear example of this is Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees’ star third baseman who makes roughly $27.5 million a year.  Even though he has had stellar numbers throughout his career, he is the object of much contempt from Yankees fans, who see his postseason performances as subpar.

 However, this year his detractors were especially loud, which led to his benching during the American League Championship Series. Even his unmatched talent couldn’t overcome the heaps of pressure from the media, fans, and city. Yankee fan Tyler Park ’14 commented, “We expect championship-contending teams every year.  It comes with the city, it comes with the bright lights, and it comes with the Yankee brand. Because he’s making 30 million, we hold him to a higher standard than any other player. “ Rodriguez couldn’t channel this pressure into success, and that is what cost him in the long run.

The mindset of high expectations is also present on the Newark Academy tennis team.  Year after year, both the men’s and women’s tennis teams have raked in wins and have consistently been ranked high in the state. The consistency and dominance of our tennis teams outmatches the achievements of all our other sports teams. It has come to define our athletic program and, on a more profound level, our school culture.

This legacy of achievement and dominance has given way to the weight of expectations. The players of the men’s and women’s tennis teams know they have a high standard to live up to. In contrast to A-Rod, they use this pressure as motivation to perform, instead of justification to fail. Junior tennis player Eric Schwed commented, “I think the high expectation for the tennis team is beneficial because it forces the players to work hard to try and make the team during the offseason, and to remain focused throughout the season.” With the high talent that comes from being a top-flight team, cutthroat competition is the engine that drives the team’s success. Just as their fans have high expectations, the players have high expectations for themselves.

When the actual season rolls around and all the preparations made during the offseason are over, a new mindset takes over the team. Although the players’ mindset during the offseason may be driven by expectations, the coaches during the season try to alleve that stress. Coach Lou Scerra commented, “During the season there isn’t any additional or pressure placed on the players. We have one goal: get better everyday.” The coaches take the drive and determination of their players and focus it on one worthy goal: getting better everyday. This motto keeps the players from succumbing to outside pressure and instead focused on a single internal mantra.

This path has certainly led to great success. Last year, the Boys Tennis team finished with an impressive 15-6 record, going 6-3 in league play. Notably, in 2009, they were named “Boys Tennis Team of the Year,” by nj.com, an impressive feat.

Compare that to A-Rod. Sure, he has generally been a solid baseball player, with a .300 career average. However, he can not say he has gotten better everyday like the tennis team has. In fact, when it really matters, his performance has been glaringly sub par. In post-season play, he has a career average of .263, showing that when it really matters at the end of the season, A-Rod doesn’t show up.

Where pressure and desire for success has crippled A-Rod, it has bred the tennis team to be the focused, determined beast that it is today.