Whether it is the pros or little leaguers, athletes of all levels have their own unique ways for preparing for their games. Routines range from eating specific foods, to pump up music, to stretching, or whatever it takes to get them ready.
Athletes develop rituals and routines because many of them believe that they have the power to enhance their performances. If a player has either a good or bad game, they tend to feel that something they did before hand was the reason that they performed the way that they did.
Common rituals include putting on uniforms in the exact same order, tapping the goalie on his shin pads, sleeping with a baseball bat underneath a pillow, wiping the soles of shoes, praying and listening to music.
“ I always listen to pump up music. Anything hype with a fast beat,” said Rebecca Evans, senior Varsity soccer player.
But other rituals are a little more complex and stranger than others. Wade Boggs, former professional baseball player, ate fried chicken, took batting practice at 5:17, ran sprints at 7:17 and drew the Hebrew word “Chai” in the dirt before every at bat. Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals baseball player, eats an Eggo waffle and showers seven times before he plays. Jason Terry, Houston Rockets basketball player, wears his opponent’s shorts to bed.
“Before every soccer game I like to eat spaghetti,” said Jordan Kuhner, senior Varsity soccer player. “ In addition to eating spaghetti, I also have to wrap pre-wrap around my shin guards ten times. It gives me good luck.”
But sometimes, however, good luck is not always the results from these rituals.
“My football team used to do chants, and if we lost we would never say those chants again and we would start saying new ones,” said Drew Phillip, athletic trainer and sports medicine teacher at Athens.
Rituals are a way to help athletes stay focused and provide them with comfort. But besides these routines bringing athletes good luck and helping them stay focused, they also help physical preparation.
“My football team had a specific warm up and stretching routine, which helps to prevent injuries,” said Phillips.
Other injury prevention routines that athletes take part in are taping ankles and wrists, ligament (ACL) tear prevention warm up sequences and getting calves rubbed out so that they will be knot-free.
Games are filled with elements that are beyond a player’s control. Rituals are simply a way for athletes to control their anxieties and nerves so that they are able to play to the best of their abilities.
“Pre-game rituals are an athlete’s times to focus. Although some people have weird superstitions, all pre-game rituals help an athlete to be mentally prepared to compete,” said Evans.
