Being The Clutch

I can recall distinctly a team event I was in at a State tourney in 2010 where I had only 3 balls left on the table.  And yet I was SO nervous!

We needed this win to move on.  Otherwise, it would be hill-hill and another teammate would have to play it for us and be put under the pressure.

I so desperately wanted to win, but I was SO nervous!  And I dogged the 8ball.  An easy cut, too.  I was mortified.  I jumped up and down and said out loud, "I was so nervous I spun the ball!"  I tried to explain why I missed it because I was so embarrassed. :( 

That was a pivotal point in my pool career.

Pivotal.

That shot has cropped into my mind a thousand times when I play my team events now.

I didn't stay down, I didn't breathe, I didn't take my time; I let the pressure get to me for sure.

But, I LEARNED from that mistake.

The very next year, same event, I had to play a hill-hill match in the team event and stated in that blog recap, "I am glad I played that nervous game last year full of anxiety and stress.  Because it allowed me to NOT let that happen in this clutch game.  :)"

And since then, I have come a LONG way.

A LONG WAY!

What I find interesting, is that I don't mind being the clutch at all.  I now welcome it and enjoy being the hill-hill person.  I think it's a combination of several things:  I'm playing better than I ever have, I have a lot of experience now in those situations, I don't mind being put in that position for the team, and I am fairly successful at it because I'm playing so well.

Clutch
n.
the crucial moment that comes between winning and losing

adj.
being able to perform under extreme pressure

Since 2012, I have probably played 15-20 hill-hill matches for my team in team events.  Most were in large tournaments on big stages:  ACS and BCAPL Texas State tourneys, and BCAPL and ACS National tourneys.

Just a couple of weeks ago my team had "the comeback of the year" (that's what they keep calling it, lol) at the ACS Texas State tournament.  We were down 1-5 in a race to 10, then 6-9.  But my teammates and I am kept fighting and we found ourselves still in it at hill-hill! 

"Melinda, you're up."

"Okay, cool.  Am I breaking?"

lol.  I knew I wasn't breaking, haha, we were the "visiting" team.  But I asked that for effect.  :)

After several innings and many safety battles, I ended up winning the hill-hill match for the team!!  High fives and hugging all around - it was awesome. :)

 (Click photo to Enlarge)

Just at Nationals in July I had to come with a great out hill-hill there too.  In May prolly 5 hill-hill matches for those team events.

It's amazing to me that that one single game in 2010 where I dogged it, has propelled me to being comfortable in this position for my teammates now.

But I learned SO much from it!

Do I still get nervous?  ABSOLUTELY!

Do I win every hill-hill match?  NO (but most of the them lol)

Do I wish I would have made that 8ball in 2010?  HECK NO.

Do I like being in this position?  I am comfortable taking the heat, YES.

Obviously, it has helped in my single matches, too.  Pretty much all pressure matches.  I now breathe better, stay down better, remember a smooth stroke, take more practice strokes, etc.

I'm not successful all the time, but I have such a MUCH better handle on my adrenaline and have the tools to tame it.

"Melinda, You're up."

:)