Since I covered sports for more than two decades, I’ve seen plenty of thrilling gridiron battles before and this is definitely a fun opportunity for both No. 8-ranked BYU and No. 2-ranked Notre Dame.

But as I’ve been enjoying all the hype and hoopla building up to the Cougars taking on the Fighting Irish, I’ve been thinking about how this is just another example of sports mirroring life.

Because we all experience big moments.

Both of the teams playing at LaVell Edwards Stadium have done all they could to this point to set themselves up to be successful. They worked hard in the offseason, overcame adversity and found ways to win all of their games to this point.

They earned the spotlight they are enjoying, regardless of the outcome.

And that’s how things go throughout our lives.

Maybe it’s graduating from high school or college, buying a new house, starting a new job or getting married. You can probably come up with quite a few more but those are ones that are certainly common.

Every time I’ve gone through those, I’ve faced them with excitement and pride in getting to that point — but also a little trepidation and anxiety.

Am I ready?

What comes next?

How will things go?

Did I make the right choice?

I think it’s far to easy to let those fears take on larger-than-life proportions and diminish the enjoyment of the moment.

Sure, bad things may happen.

You may get frustrated with your job or get fired or laid off.

You may graduate and not be able to find a good job.

Your dream home may end up having far more problems than you expected (most homes do).

Even a strong relationship may end up falling apart, resulting in heartache and possibly divorce.

But for all of those negative possibilities, there are just as many positive ones.

You may love your job and find satisfaction and success.

You may discover a great career or other educational opportunities after graduation.

You may feel like your home is perfect for you, despite the challenges that come with it.

And your relationship may grow stronger and you find you can’t imagine not having someone to share your life with.

I’ve often asked myself if being so scared of the risks is preventing me from ever getting the rewards.

I hope not.

There are no guaranteed successes in life. To paraphrase the line from the classic movie “The Princess Bride,” anyone who says otherwise is selling something.

In my career, I covered hundreds of high school state tournaments in a wide range of sports. When I had the opportunity to talk to coaches or players before those big moments, I would almost always express the same sentiment:

I told them I hoped they played in such a way that they could look back and be proud of themselves, regardless of whether they won or lost.

Because, to me, that’s what really matters — and that goes for all opportunities, not just ones in sports.

Did you prepare?

Did you make the best choices you could?

Were you there for others when you could be?

Did you put bounce back when things didn’t go perfectly?

Did you give yourself the best chance you could to be successful?

If you did, then I think you can be pleased with the results.

I think that’s what our emphasis should be as we look at the big moments of our lives.

They aren’t about fear; they are about opportunities to do something great.

I hope we make the most of them and help others to do the same.

Jared Lloyd is the managing editor of the Standard-Examiner and can be reached at jlloyd@standard.net.