Overview
A superstition is commonly known as a belief or practice that is not based on scientific evidence or rational reasoning but is instead a tradition or personal belief. Superstitions often involve the idea that certain actions, objects, or occurrences have the power to bring good or bad luck or influence future events. In this case, I asked a few of the student-athletes at Magnet about their superstition(s) through a short series of questions.
- Do you have any superstitions when it comes to game time?
- How did your superstition start?
- How long have you been practicing this superstition?
- Anything else you would like to add?
Mattie Vermette
First off is a sparky junior who plays a crucial role on the AMHS girls’ soccer team, Mattie Vermette. Mattie has one simple superstition, she does three high knee jumps before every half of every game and she claims that if she forgets to do it, her team will either play badly or lose. Mattie does not quite remember when this superstition started but it was around two years ago. She says that she was inspired by her club soccer teammate and now she does it with or without her teammate every game.
Connor Sawall
Connor’s superstitions vary depending on the sport. For football game time he always wears eye black in the form of 2 crosses and prays with his teammates before the game as religion is a big part of his life and he enjoys practicing it on and off the field. Additionally, Connor has a tradition of slamming his head into his helmet before every game because he claims it hypes him up; I wonder if this contributes to his concussions. He explains that he was inspired by Kevin Garnett’s very intimidating clip of him slamming his head against the padding of the hoop and the next game Connor played in, he tried it out for himself which resulted in him having the best performance of his life during his junior year. Connor also plays baseball and has three separate rituals when it comes to game time. First off, Connor always enjoys a tasty Philly cheese steak from Jersey Mikes before every home game, then ingests 2-8 ibuprofen depending on the pain, and then of course thanks God by pointing to the sky as he steps on the field. He started eating the famous Phillys freshman year and ibuprofen sophomore year.
Madeline Moye
Next up is sophomore star Madeline Moye. Madeline plays soccer and basketball for Magnet but her superstition is only for soccer. Before every home game, Madeline slurps down a fresh Jetty Punch from Tropical Smoothie in order to prepare her body for a win. This tradition began last year when Madeline was a freshman on Varsity carpooling with her other freshie soccer friends, Anna Cook and Hannah Collins, and senior mentors, Avery Voelkel and Livia Carroll. What a wonderful team bonding tradition!
“Smoothies for the win.” -Madeline Moye
Elaina Seymour
In the interest of spectacular seniors, next up is softball’s strongest Elaina Seymour. Elaina has a few unique traditions when it comes to game time. To kick it off, Elaina ALWAYS has to put her right sock on before her left sock, she explains that there is no real reason for this tradition it is just one that she always does. Additionally, Elaina is a big advocate and fan of energy drinks as she never fails to enjoy a peach-vibe-flavored Celsius before games. She elaborates on this superstition by explaining that her whole club team also drinks one before games because it is simply and unarguably the best flavor. Also when it comes to game time drinks, Elaina only drinks glacier freeze flavored Gatorade Zero, she is not sure why she does it but she refuses to change her ways. When getting pumped up for her game, Elaina of course has to have a jam-out session in her car but although the music each time varies, she finishes each session off by listening to Stir Fry by Migos. Last but not least, Elaina only allows herself 20 pregame swings during warmups because she explains that the more she swings, the more she analyzes her swings and the worse she ends up doing in the actual game. So…
“Sometimes less is more.” -Elaina Seymour
Evie Walldorf
Lastly, is junior tri-athlete Evie Walldorf. Evie plays volleyball, basketball, and soccer and has a superstition for each one when it comes to game time. When it comes to the fall sport of volleyball, Evie claims that if her last serve in warmups goes over then the team is sure to win but if it goes out, then bad luck tends to follow. Although Evie says that this superstition does not always prove to be accurate she still does it every time and that it started about two years ago. Next up is her winter sport, basketball; when it comes to game time she cannot finish her warmup until she makes one shot in the net, or else she will have a bad shooting game. She has been practicing this superstition ever since she started playing basketball and it was inspired by her dad who “would not let me leave the court on a miss”. Also, Evie has a very specific routine when it comes to free throws, she explains: “I have to bounce the ball twice with my right hand and then spin it towards me and let it bounce and kick my foot up and then do the same with my left hand and foot.” She further explains that this tradition started in 5th grade when her coach said she needed to stop missing all her free throws and that a routine would help. Last but not least, Evie has a small but effective superstition when it comes to tearing it up on the soccer field. She has gone 8 years with the SAME shinguards and claims that she cannot purchase a new pair because they are her lucky pair and it would be unlucky to buy a new pair. And I know you are now wondering, wow those shinguards must be nasty, but no worries because Evie makes sure to keep them clean and fresh for each game.
Comment down below if you have any superstitions!
