"Sports and Literature," by Andrew Bennett

Growing up, almost every book I read was about sports. Whether it was a fictional story or a biography about my favorite athletes, sports interested me most. One of my favorite books was A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein. This book followed various player on the PGA Tour and shined light onto the mental lessons golf can teach the reader.

Feinstein picked out golfers at different stages in their careers who had personal stories to tell. Each player, no matter how successful their career, had their own struggles. Each story was inspiring, in itself. One that stood out to me the most was the story of David Love III.

Love III dealt with some of the worst nerves while on the PGA Tour, and this book gives insight into how he felt going into some of his most famous shots. The reason I was so interested in this is because he was known for having one of the best swings on tour and one would think he would have nothing to worry about. He was a successful and hardworking player.

Often, athletes are thought of as invincible though they have the same thoughts as we do. The magnitude of the events they play in can take a toll on them. In the 1993 Ryder Cup, an event every other year between the US and Europe’s best golfers, Love III won the tournament for the US on the last hole. It looked like he was calm and collected, but he described how his legs were shaking when he stepped up to hit his approach shot. He mentioned that he hadn’t felt a sense of calm in 4 days since the tournament started.

Stories like this are the reason I enjoy sports literature so much. It can give the reader an insight into the most iconic moments in sports, like Love’s shot on the 18th. From the outside, it seemed like a confident shot, but that was the exact opposite of what was going on in his head. Through sports literature, the reader can learn the stories behind how athletes feel and puts a new spin on moments and shots the reader may have been watching his or her entire life.