The Art of the Pre Game Routine
In sports everyone wants to get the upper hand in any way possible. One legal way athletes like to do that is with their pre game routine they do. Almost every player has atleast one thing they do before every game that makes them feel good about it or makes them feel ready. Some tactics are as basic as the way they tie their shoes. Others have very complexed routines that take very careful planning out.
Mine is not very complex at all. I always walk over to the gym blasting music (usually rap). I always show up atleast an hour early so I can shoot in the gym by myself without any distractions. Then I do some ball handling to try and get a feel of the ball before the game. After that warm up I take my basketball shoes off and put them back on. This is probably the most unique part of my routine. I always put my right shoe on before my left, but always tie my left shoe before my right. If I do not do this I feel like the game is going to go terrible. Studies have been done to try and find out whats the best thing to do to increase confidence.
Social scientist Amy Cuddy did a study on testosterone and cortisol levels based on a persons posture. She found that people with a wider posture who almost made themselves seem bigger had very high testosterone levels compared to those who sit bunhed up almost making themselves smaller. She offers the idea of power posing, “For two minutes, you say, ‘I want you to stand like this, and it’s going to make you feel more powerful”(Refer to picture for how to stand). Before every game Cuddy would probably reccomend for athletes to power pose before every game for increased performance. This will give the athlete the confidence to go out play his/her hardest.
I came across an article on ESPN that expalains why athletes do pre game routines. “Most athletes I’ve spoken to have little rituals and superstitions that they do,” said Thomas Newmark, MD, the president of the International Society of Sports Psychiatrists. “Sports are filled with elements beyond your control. Rituals, lucky charms, and superstitions give you little things you can control. It’s something you can do that is familiar and soothing that can help you control anxiety … and to that end, maybe perform better.” A lot of athletes do little things to try and get an advantage. This is a story of famous third basemen Wade Boggs, “Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, former third baseman for the Red Sox, was notoriously superstitious and earned the nickname “Chicken Man” for eating chicken before each game. He also drew the word Chai (Hebrew word for life) in the dirt before taking his turn at bat. None of those things proably had any effect on the actual game, but mentally it helped Boggs. Little things like that can make a huge difference in an athletes career.
If you would like to watch or read Amy Cuddy’s TED talk follow this link:
For the ESPN article follow this link:
http://espn.go.com/espnw/training/article/6857252/pregame-rituals-pros
