Game day superstitions

Toreros share their game day rituals 

Amara Brooks / Sports Editor / The USD Vista 

Many athletes and sports fans alike have their superstitions or rituals that are ingrained into their everyday lives. From avoiding cracks on the sidewalk to ensuring never to split the pole, there are things individuals must do in order to attract good luck. In the world of sports, many athletes and fans have superstitions that they must  complete before a game. in order to feel ready going into a match.

According to, BelievePerform a ritual can be defined as “a certain behavior or action that a sports performer [or fan] carries out with the belief that these behaviors have a specific purpose, or power, to influence their performance; many sports performers believe that performing a specific ritual before a competition improves the outcome of their performance. These performances are typically carried out at the beginning of games.” 

USD sophomore Jane Riehs on the swim & dive team shared her pre-meet ritual she does, which begins with her warm ups before a meet.

“Typically before every meet I find a certain walk path,” Riehs explained.  “I know it sounds weird, but every warm up I walk the same path to the diving board. Same steps, same footing, because if I change up the steps I believe I will mess up my next dive. I also do this during the meet. I walk the same path because I believe it is good luck. Same footing, same steps.”

Oftentimes people’s superstitions are not pre-planned, but they are more so something they have done habitually over time. For USD senior Solymar Colling, her game day ritual came from coffee trips with her dad before tennis matches. 

“I need to have some caffeine before matches,” Colling stated. “This started in high school when my dad and I would always get coffee at Starbucks before playing my match, and I played some of the best tennis of my life.” 

Colling also shares that she keeps track of certain clothing items that bring her good luck before matches. 

“I also have some lucky sports bras, skirts and shirts, and when I feel like I play well in them I write a heart or something on the tag and save those only for game days.”

This superstition started in high school when she would keep track of which outfits she wore during winning tournaments. If she would win a match in a particular outfit, it quickly became her new ‘lucky outfit.’ 

USD senior Rashaan Ward, shared that before every football game, he must talk to a female figure in his life. This routine phone call is one that he has done since he first started football, as he started every game by calling his grandmother.

“I know it sounds weird, but I must call either my mom or my grandma before every game,” Ward shared. “If one of them doesn’t answer, then I call a good girl friend. I don’t know what it is but something about speaking to someone like that before a game just helps to calm my nerves before I play.”

Many celebrity athletes are superstitious as well, spending their whole career following different game day rituals. NBA legend Michael Jordan spent every game on the Chicago Bulls wearing his college North Carolina practice shorts under his uniform. After winning the national championships with the Tar Heels in 1982, Jordan believed that the shorts he played in were lucky. This ritual caused the legend to request the NBA manufacturer to create longer shorts for players. Along with fitting his UNC shorts he also wanted something to grip when catching his breath between plays. Jordan’s switch to longer uniform shorts influenced the rest of the league, as players switched their traditional tighter and shorter shorts for Jordan’s longer version. 

Tennis champion Serena Williams dedicates the majority of her success on the court to how closely she follows through with her routines and superstitions. Prior to a match, the athlete makes sure to bring her shower shoes to the court and tie her tennis shoes a specific way, and she must bounce the ball five times before any serve. When competing in tournaments, the champion ensures to wear the same pair of socks for the duration of the event. 

Athletes are not the only ones with their superstitions: many fans participate in their own rituals before their respective teams compete. NFL fans admit to following the same routine every game day, and if they’re not completed, then they truly believe they have an impact on the result of their team’s score. From wearing the same jersey all season long, eating the exact foods and watching the game in the same spot, routines play a large role in fans’ game day superstitions. 

USD sophomore Airion Medina is a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team and has his own superstitions he explains he must do before each game.

“I have to do 10 jumping jacks before they play,” Medina shared. “Along with jumping jacks I also wear my Thunder’s jersey to help bring the team good luck and help them win.”  

In an IMG Academy article on superstitions they reported that superstitions and rituals have been proven to improve athletes’ performance as the belief in a lucky routine or object helps to boost in-game confidence. These superstitions provide athletes with another way to reduce anxiety and provide them with a sense of reliability and comfort before a competition. Along with superstitions, the participation in visualization techniques has been linked to improved performance among athletes. Teams often will utilize both techniques together, to help accomplish overall team-oriented goals. 

Women’s tennis participates in these practices as a group before every match. 

“As a team this season we have been saying an affirmation before every match, and it is something that I think all of us have as a superstition now,” Colling shared.  

Superstitions are a major part of the sports world for both athletes and fans. Participating in these habitual routines is something that has bonded fans, and many athletes have become famous for their “strange” practices. No  matter how strange or random the superstition is, they provide athletes with a sense of comfort that allows them to compete to the best of their ability.