Athletic superstitions are common throughout all sports and even some hobbies. Many people have superstitions but just don’t know they have them. Superstitions can be as simple as eating a certain food before your game or putting your right shoe on before your left.
Junior Eryn Jackson shooting guard has a few superstitions during the basketball season. Her superstitions all started her sophomore year when she came to watch the JV game (prior to the varsity game) with a Celsius in her hand. She drank it while watching the game and finished it in the locker room while she was putting her jersey on for the game. She even said, “It is kind of silly how I developed this superstition, I just happened to have a good game that night and have drank one ever since.” The Inner Drive Blog says that superstitions are formed after a won game or a good performance. Which makes perfect sense as to why Jackson continued on with her superstition after that night. Jackson says the flavor of the Celcius doesn’t matter. “I just drink whichever one sounds the best when I head to the gas station. It has never been the same flavor or any one in particular.”
For other athletes like senior Josie Niehaus shooting guard, superstitions are a few different things instead of just one. “When we have a home game I always stop at Casey’s to grab an energy drink before heading to the locker room to get ready for the game,” Niehaus said. “During home games I drink my drink in the locker room, but on away games I drink it on the bus while we are on our way to the game.” The drinking of her energy drink is accompanied by listening to some music either through her AirPods on away games, or over the speaker in the locker room on home games. She listens to “Whatever type of music my heart desires that day.” Niehaus breaks out some of her dance moves as soon as she arrives on game day to get her heart rate up and everyone excited for the game. Most of Niehaus’ superstitions revolve around getting in the right mindset for the game and hyping herself up to hopefully perform the best that she can in the game.
Starting quarterback for the football team this year was senior Joey Rhomberg who had some complex superstitions of his own. Rhomberg’s superstitions have changed just a little bit over the years due to some seniors who graduated above him but the routine has remained the same. One of Rhomberg’s superstitions formed his sophomore year, he began writing Ao1 on a piece of tape that went around his wrist. Ao1 means audience of one, and he is playing for one person, jesus. He said, “I write Ao1 before every game in the locker room because it is a good reminder to myself during the game to keep a good perspective on the game.” This also helps him keep a good mindset and remind him who he is playing for. Another thing that Rhomberg does before the game happens right before they run onto the field. When fellow team mate Riley Mudd was in high school he used to give a pep talk before every game to get him in the right mindset, but now that Mudd graduated, Ethan Plotz took over his job.
Freshman Clay Simpson plays basketball, football, and golf. Within those sports that he participates in he says he only has superstitions for basketball. Simpson a guard plays basketball for the school and a club team. When asking Simpson when his superstitions started he said, “They started my seventh grade year during club basketball season over the summer.” Simpson says that he always puts his left shoe on before his right shoe. This became a superstition after he won the game that afternoon when he put his shoes on a certain way. When asking him if the thought this superstition really made him play better and have a better chance at winning the game and he said, “ To be honest no, not really, but it is just something that I can do every game to keep the same and something to rely on and be able to control when there isn’t anything else I can control.” This superstition always takes place in the locker room while he is getting ready for warmups, or if he is at a club tournament, just on the floor wherever he can find room to get ready.
The final person that was interviewed was senior Sophia Bunch who is a striker. Bunch plays soccer in the spring and used to play volleyball. Bunch says that she does not have any superstitions but she said, “I like to wear my hair in two french braids when I play soccer, because I think it makes me play better but it isn’t a necessity.” Bunch thinks that this has transferred over from when she played volleyball but isn’t one hundred percent sure. Bunch says she cannot braid her own hair so she asks one of her fellow teammates to braid her hair in the locker room before they take the field if it is a home game or on the bus for away games. Research says that this is not considered as a superstition because it was not formed after a won game or a very good performance. Bunch thinks that it makes her play better but does not remember a distinct time that it did to make her want to repeat this hair style.
All in all athletic superstition is something that a lot of people have and believe in. It is shown that it is not bad to have superstitions but is something that you can rely on and make into a routine.
