Gaining a Competitive Edge: Sports Superstitions
By: Stephen Bond
Updated: January 31, 2013
There's the Lambeau leap or playoff beards in hockey...No matter what the sport athletes will do almost anything to gain a mental edge.
Dr. Jonathan Meeter, an Associate Professor of Psychology says, "We've known for a long time that our mind affects our body of what you think is going to have a huge effect on how you do."
Utica College Senior Women's Basketball player Alyssa Filkins says, "As a freshman everyone comes in and they say they're not superstitious and then they become very superstitious being on our team."
Utica College Sophomore Cross Country/Track Runner Emily Hudson says, "I have to listen to all the same music I have since I was in 8th grade, I have it on one playlist."
Junior Football Player Sean Jones says, "I like to grow out my mustache until we lose a game, so this year we had a good start so I didn't have to shave it for a while."
Dr. Meeter added, "What's going to give us the edge, obviously the big variables in who's going to win a big game is talent preparation, and strategy, but there's little things that can make a huge difference."
Freshman Swimmer Cecelia Gulius says, "I have very little ones, but the weird one is I like to eat raw pasta before my meet. Its just the mindset, if you miss a ritual it just throws your whole game off and you don't feel as good as you would if you were to actually go through with it."
"If somebody believes something will help, it gives them a little performance edge" says Dr. Meeter.
"Yeah, I sleep with the gloves on. And then I woke up the next morning, played the game and I got 4 sacks, so I was like I'm doing something right. I like dream about doing good stuff and I feel like if I have the gloves on I mean there with me I guess, I don't know" says Freshman Football Player Nicholus Woodman.
Hudson added, "If you're not an athlete, I think that you don't understand this at all."
