Ever wonder why Tiger Woods wears only red on Sundays when he’s in contention for the Masters? Or why Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy talked to the posts during TV timeouts?
These are superstitions, a phenomenon as old as sport itself. Athletes have their own rituals, traditions and beliefs that they carry out before a game, some of which they perform daily, to achieve a desired result. For example, tying one skate before the other or being the last one off the ice after the pregame warm-up.
Sports superstitions aren’t just found in major leagues, though, as some varsity athletes in Canada have their own superstitions, including at St. Thomas University.
Charlee Connors is one of those athletes. A second-year student on the STU women’s basketball team, she has quite a few superstitions.
“My top one would have to be my hair. It has to be in a low braid and I feel like I don’t play good if my hair is any other way,” said Connors.
She thinks superstitions may seem strange to non-athletes, but they seem normal to her.
“As an athlete they make sense to me, just because it feels like it takes something off your mind that doesn’t need to be there,” she said.
Another athlete at STU who has bought into pregame rituals is Mees van Nouhuys, a rookie on the Tommies men’s soccer team. He has rituals for every time he starts a soccer match.
“I make a cross and I kiss my wrist three to five times.”
He feels these pregame superstitions help him prepare and feel more comfortable. Van Nouhuys believes superstitions should help players mentally.
“Maybe you won’t play better, but if you believe you do, it might be a bit of the placebo effect and therefore it might help you,” he said.
Van Nouhuys is reminded of a player from his home country of the Netherlands, who apparently wore the same pair of underwear for an entire week out of superstition.
Although Van Nouhuys found this weird, he said: “if it helps him, then good for him.”
