Throughout What Made Maddy Run, Fagan identifies the pressures facing young athletes. Madison joined a competitive track and field team at a Division I school. We see her struggle with the time commitment and the high level of competition. The transition from high school to college is difficult for many young people. However, student athletes have extraordinary time commitments, often 25 hours or more per week. Combined with the academic pressures of an Ivy League school, Madison struggled to adjust. Madison’s friend Ingrid sends Madison a Huffington Post article called “Ivy League Quitters: The Costs of Being an Ivy Athlete,” which describes why many student athletes quit. Ingrid is also a student athlete, and she quits the crew team.

The level of competition is typically much higher than students faced in high school. Many college athletes were the top athletes in their high schools and regions. Suddenly competing against other top performers can be damaging to young people who tie their self-worth to their athletic accomplishments. Madison, like many student athletes, is used to excelling. Suddenly placed into a context where everyone seems to excel, she feels extraordinary pressure to be better.