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More Tennis

• Local tennis: Naples' Witten loses first-round match in U.S. Open qualifying
• Local tennis: Marco's Embree eliminated in consolation round at USTA Girls 18s National Championship
• Local tennis: Marco's Embree wins two consolation matches at USTA Girls 18s National Championship

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It could be tennis, golf, baseball, basketball, football, you name the game — the list goes on. The allure of sports, from my perspective, is the truth it seemingly always pauses to illuminate!

You may be rich or poor, tall or short, fat or skinny, an Adonis/Venus — or a bridge troll. The arena of competition still will expose your true self for better or worse.

It doesn’t mean that you are a good person or bad if you fail or succeed, it merely defines your philosophy as a human being.

Do you strive, fail or succeed, then learn from your errors, regroup and reassert yourself? Or do you cringe and in fear of further failure and limit your mind to venturing only into places where you have experienced success?

I was watching the PGA Players Championship on Sunday afternoon when Sean O’Hair, in an attempt to win rather than finish second, took risks, failed painfully in the effort and lost hundreds of thousands of dollars by finishing 11th.

O’Hair paid a huge price to learn about the two-edged sword adrenalin can be in the competitive pressure cooker. He stroked a shot that flew over the 17th green and splash — straight into the water.

The very best in all sport make a focused effort to hone their fundamental skills to a razor’s edge and only then begin the journey of self discovery and exploration of their character as competitors.

O’Hair will be back, I’m sure, his attitude after having a half-million-dollar meltdown was that he made a great shot, and was just a little pumped up.

“You’ve got to make something happen,” O’Hair said. “I didn’t bust my butt for four days to get second place. Obviously, I paid for it.”

I can only hope he learned his lesson about decision-making.

As a tennis player, you get the opportunity to make hundreds of decisions like that in a match. Are you positive and forward looking like O’Hair, or are you a naysayer and fearful of finding out what makes you really tick?

Should you go for that big shot or play it a littler safer?

Sports tells you the naked truth about yourself. Can you deal with that?

Your success depends on it!!¤

Howie Burnett is a member of the United States Professional Tennis Association and tennis director at the Island Country Club on Marco Island. Burnett welcomes questions on strokes, tactics or etiquette. To reach him, call the tennis shop at 394-4464 or e-mail him at islandclubtennis@hotmail.com.