Whether it’s a lucky pair of socks or a pregame meal, most people have a certain thing that they think gives them good luck, either for their own performance or maybe their favorite sports team. A superstition is a belief or action that people think will improve performance in everyday life, but in this case, sports.
Why Do People Have Superstitions?
When it’s their own performance, superstitions give people more confidence in themselves to do good. They usually start when you or your team performs greatly, and you start to notice a pattern. Whether it’s a certain meal you ate, something you wore, or a chant that you did, your brain recognizes it and relates it to winning. According to a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth, most people recognize that their superstition or belief is wrong, but they still go through with it. “People can detect an error, but choose not to correct it.”
Do They Actually Help?
Superstitions might seem like they don’t work, but they can actually provide psychological benefits that can improve your performance. Most superstitions have been shown to improve your confidence and lead to better outcomes, and they can also provide a distraction for athletes with performance anxiety.
Examples Around the School
Group Chants/ Prayers- Before every competition, the JMS Competition Cheer Team gets in a circle, puts their right foot in the middle, and says a prayer.
Pre-Game Snack- Before his volleyball games, Ivan Vega likes to eat applesauce.
Lucky Gear- Avery Lotano brings her lucky Chick-fil-a cow stuffed animal to every swim meet for good luck.
Routines- When Emma Patterson gets her new martial arts belt, she has to complete a 3 step process that includes breaking a board.
New Haircuts- Before playoffs or states, lots of professional and high school sports teams like to shave their heads or grow beards.
Celebrity Superstitions
Rafael Nadal- 45 minutes before every match, Nadal likes to take a cold shower. He also arranges his water bottles in a specific order. “I must put the two bottles down at my feet, in front of my chair to my left, one neatly behind the other, diagonally aimed at the court,” he writes in his memoir.
Carissa Moore- American Olympic Surfing Champion, Carissa Moore, makes her husband wear lucky socks every time she competes.
