Sports Superstitions: Many of the top athletes globally follow certain superstitions. Even though the sports industry is one of the most highly competitive environments, many athletes still rely on certain superstitions that may seem trivial to others, but have a psychological impact on athletes, which helps them to perform their best.
Superstitions in sports emerged as it does in any other environment. This means that even a few correlations and coincidences are enough to plant a seed in their minds that doing or not doing a certain thing is what led to a certain preferred result.
Though they might not mean much to others, they help the athletes to excel in competitions. Moreover, these superstitions might not be based on any facts whatsoever, but still strengthen a personal belief that they hold.
List of Pre-game Rituals Top Athletes Follow:
Michael Jordan
Sports Superstitions – The Powder Toss, Bouncing ball a fixed number of times, and more.
The legend himself, Michael Jordan, was said to follow two very specific things that can be considered sports superstitions before playing any Basketball match.
He had fixed pre-game habits like bouncing the basketball a certain fixed number of times before any free throws and using a specific way to tuck in his jersey.
Serena Williams
Sports Superstition – Lucky Socks
Serena Williams is known for believing that repeating certain clothes brings her luck. It helped her focus during the most critical matches. Like her socks, which she believed brought her luck if she wore the same socks throughout the tournament until she lost a match.
Lionel Messi
Sports Superstition – Pre-match Nutrition
Lionel Messi believes that eating the same pre-match meal gives him a level of consistency that keeps his body always ready for peak performance before any match. This gives him control over his performance.
Usain Bolt
Sports Superstition – The Lightning Bolt Pose, Listening to specific playlists
Usain Bolt believed that his pre-race routine, which involved his iconic pose, which is called ‘the lightning bolt,’ and listening to certain specific playlists, helped him with confidence and motivation before any race. He believed that doing these rituals helped him channel his energy towards racing.
Tom Brady
Sports Superstition – Visualizations
Tom Brady has been popular for strongly believing in the power of visualization. He is said to visualize strongly before stepping into the field so as to anticipate all the different scenarios that could play out in a game, which helps him reduce any anxiety and helps with maintaining an unwavering focus.
Sports Superstitions tend to provide athletes with a sense of control over the outcome of any match.
ALSO READ: 5 Reasons Why Mental Coaches For Pro Athletes Are Important
