Pregame rituals are renowned in the sporting world for acting as a psychological anchor for athletes before and during competitions. The Midway spoke with four different U-High athletes about the specifics and significance of their pregame rituals.
CECI SIEGEL — DANCE:
Everyone on the dance team knows that before each competition, senior Ceci Siegel needs what she calls “sassy time.” Wherever they are competing, she will strut around the halls as sassily as she can while making silly faces. Ceci describes the faces she makes as ones that she would typically make when no one else is watching, when she is at her silliest or most comfortable.
“Imagine somebody you’d bully for making those faces. And it’s like that, like, it’s just like, imagine, you’re watching like a drag show or something,” Ceci said.
Ceci’s 10 minutes of sassy time are an essential part of her pregame routine and for mustering her confidence.
Ceci said, “Like pretending it’s, like, less serious than it is, and just like, being a little silly, like, it makes things better.”
NIKOLAS GULYAYEV — TENNIS:
Like many famous athletes, sophomore Nikolas Gulyayev uses visualization to focus before a tennis match. Visualizing himself playing helps him feel both emotionally and physically prepared for anything that can happen.
“I might just, like, think about how I’m gonna hit my serve, or think about my ground strokes,” Nikolas said. “It’s not so much about, like, visualizing every single shot you’re gonna hit but just thinking about how you’re gonna react.”
He also tries to feel present by using techniques like deep breathing and focusing on the moment he is in. He feels these habits, along with visualization, have helped with his consistency.
Nikolas said, “I want to approach each match the same, because are you really that high skill level if you’re only playing at that skill level one in 10 matches.”
ZOE COBB — SWIMMING:
For junior Zoe Cobb, the key to getting ready to dive off the blocks is keeping her body alert. When she is at a club meet, she will have her coach help her put her cap on and have her coach lightly shake her head three times. This pre-swim touchpoint helps her feel that connection with her coach. Like her head shake, she also shakes out her legs and arms three times each for both the right and left sides.
“I try not to sit too much. I find if I, like, sit and stare at the water, I just, like, make myself stressed,” Zoe said.
While she does not believe that her pregame ritual correlates to her consistency in the pool, she does feel that it helps with her mental resilience, and her brain finds comfort in having the routine.
Zoe said, “It is that psychological anchor, and it keeps me from letting my brain jump to the what ifs, to the negatives, to the potential negative outcomes, and it really tries to shift my focus to the present.”
ATTICUS RICHARD — SOCCER:
As junior Atticus Richard started getting into his Christian faith more and built up his knowledge of prayers, he started experimenting with including religion as a part of his pregame soccer routine. It proved to be helpful for him, so he has started doing it consistently.
“Sometimes I do the Lord’s Prayer. I’d say that that’s definitely the most consistent, but also, I mean, sometimes I pray together with my teammates, and then I switch it up, so that’s nice,” Atticus said.
Having this pregame ritual has helped Atticus start a game in what he feels is the right mindset.
“It just keeps me in check, and I mean, obviously, you can’t play the same game every single time,” Atticus said. “But I think if you can keep one thing consistent, then other things will come.”
