Every Friday night, the lights are blinding, the stands are packed with peers and the cheers all around are amped up. The referee reaches for his whistle and the piercing shriek rings – the game is starting.
Before the whistle blows or the game clock starts, athletes across the world engage in a variety of peculiar rituals—whether it is a basketball player dribbling in a precise rhythm, a runner touching a family heirloom or a wrestler trying to receive the winning band. These seemingly quirky practices go beyond habit and for many athletes, become a crucial part of their mental game. These superstitions become routine, providing a source of optimism and control. Sports superstitions may seem meaningless or silly on the surface; however, athletes utilize this psychological tool to soothe their nerves.
According to the National Library of Medicine, superstitious behaviors stem from incorrect association of cause and effect. Superstitions frequently develop after a pattern of intentional or unintentional actions results in a positive outcome.
At the beginning of wrestling matches, the officials distribute colored ankle bands to the participants to help track their movements. Wrestler Nelson LaBombard ’27, said that he noticed the outcome of his matches depended on which ankle band he received.
“In a bunch of tournaments, every time I won, I was wearing a red ankle band. In turn, every time I lost I wore the green band,” LaBombard said.
Superstitions can be detrimental when athletes put too much faith in random events that are out of their control. This can limit an athlete’s adaptability and diminish their overall focus. If a superstition cannot be satisfied properly, an athlete may enter their competition with a negative mindset which that can become harmful to their performance.
Basketball player Baron Linnekens ’26 received a shot clock violation and decided that he needed to shorten his free throw routine to fit the time limit. Sometimes, athletes are forced to alter repetitive routines to fit within the time constraints of the game, like volleyball or tennis serving routines, according to Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
“In basketball, you only get ten seconds to shoot a free throw,” Linnekens said. “So I took too long on one of my free throws and then [the refs] were like you have to speed it up. I used to take three dribbles, pause and then a fourth one, and now it’s just a deep breath and then one dribble. This helped me with flow, routine and rhythm.”
According to Peak Performance Sports, athletes’ pregame superstitions help them keep a positive mindset for an upcoming game. The consistency of pre-game rituals leads to the an overall increase in calmness, sense of control and confidence in performance.
Linnekens said the basketball team follows a consistent pregame routine.
“We shoot from around three to four, and then we go watch film and eat a firehouse sub,” Linnenkens said.
Linnekens said that constant pre-game routines help foster a unified team mindset.
“This really helps unify your team together, especially because basketball is really a team sport,” Linnekens said. “If one person on the floor isn’t on the same page, then it breaks up.”
Simren Bindra ’27 said that before every track meet, she listens to “Buzzcut Season” by Lorde, because music is an easy way for athletes to practice mindfulness by focusing their attention towards the song rather than on their own anxious internal thoughts.
“It’s like a breath of fresh air,” Bindra said. “Not everything in life is just a race. This offers perspective.”
This type of big-picture thinking helps alleviate athletes’ negative thoughts.
According to Better Health, deep breathing can help reduce stress, helping to control the nervous system. Linnekens said that taking a deep breath grounds him.
“Especially the breath before helps you settle down,” Linnekens said. “You have to be able to center yourself before you shoot.”
Bindra said that before a meet, in addition to listening to music, she touches her family heirloom necklace for reassurance.
Published in August 2024, a Sports Medicine Journal states that after athletes do their superstition, adrenaline releases. This helps to increase athletes’ alertness.
Bindra said that the focused habitual actions helps her mental health.
“I started touching my necklace because my grandma always used to do it when I was younger.” Bindra said. “It’s because she was a runner and she was always touching her necklace.”
