PRIYA COOPER / SPORTS EDITOR

Spooky season is officially upon us but some superstitions last all year round. Many  athletes,  including those at USD, have certain rituals and tricks that they do before every game — either as a good luck charm to ensure that they play to the best of their  abilities  or reach success throughout their games and  during  their season

Even the greatest of all time athletes have certain tokens or superstitions that they stand by in an attempt to manifest good luck during their games. Most basketball fans know that Michael Jordan played at the University of North Carolina before becoming one of  the  greatest  players  in NBA history. Even after going pro, Jordan kept a piece of his Tar Heel roots with him and wore his UNC practice shorts under his  uniform in every NBA game, a ritual that began during his college championship run.     

Every athlete has a different game-day ritual which can come down to even how they tie their shoes. Photo courtesy of  @engin akyurt/ Unsplash

While  some  rituals  are more odd than others, both  players and fans all have certain activities   they  perform   to try and  sway  the  game  in  their favor. 

USD senior and player for the men’s tennis team Lambert Ruland explained what he does in preparation for match days for good luck. 

“On game day, I try not to do too much that deviates from my day-to-day rituals,” Ruland said. “My morning routine, with mobility and breakfast every morning, stays the same each day.  My  ritual  before  the  game is journaling. Typically I write down what my intentions are  and  what  I  focus on. That’s something that’s specific for a match day. Also I wear specific underwear (compression shorts) on matchday. But don’t worry, I got several of those.”

Specific  clothing  items  are  a big  part  of  the  good  luck  culture. USD senior and member of the men’s cross country and track team William Gratke III shared similar rituals to Rudland. 

“The morning of every race, I journal exactly how I want my race to go and then I touch base after to see how it went,” Gratke said. “I also  always wear the same pair of socks, always have to  have  the  same  crew  socks  on.”

Clothes aside, there are many other rituals that people carry out in hopes of it giving them a stroke of luck, such as eating certain foods or meals on game day. 

USD senior and member of the club lacrosse team Ethan Petrie talked about how certain foods are worked into his game day rituals. 

“On game day I have three things I usually do before every game ever since high school,” Petrie said. “The first being, that day I always eat a turkey sub, don’t ask me why, it just works. The other thing is I call or talk to my parents before the game,  it helps me calm any nerves I have and finally I always listen to the same playlist heading to the game.”

While everyone has their methods for success, a lot of people are not superstitious and approach                                                  competitions the same way that they would any other day or practice. USD  senior  and  softball player Kelsey Tadlock shared her team’s game-day rituals. 

“I’m not that big on superstitions to be honest, but one thing our team does before every game is a prayer circle,” Tadlock said. “We all get together and say a little prayer for good luck and it always brings us good vibes.” 

Whether  it’s wearing          lucky socks,  eating      a specific meal or setting  clear  intentions through  journaling,  these rituals highlight how much mental preparation and personal belief go into athletic       performance. For some, superstitions    are  about      finding control in an unpredictable game, while for others    they  are  simply traditions that bring comfort and focus. 

Michael Jordan pictured wearing his UNC college shorts under his Bulls Uniform for an NBA game. Photo courtesy of  @sportsville/Instagram