Very Superstitious

I don't remember the exact day it began, but I know I do it every time my daughter is up to bat and my son is goal keep for a penalty kick. I can't watch. I literally cover my face with my hands and listen for the sound of the bat and/or cheers of the other parents. I get so nervous and I know somewhere along the way my kids experienced success when I wasn't watching so I internalized they have better luck when I don't look. It is completely irrational thinking to my normally logical thought process, but if it helps my kids I will do it right? At home, I am the fan that if I leave the room and come back to find my team has scored a touchdown, I will not watch anymore. I had a lucky leotard when I was a gymnast. I distinctly remember wearing a side ponytail (cut me some slack-it was the 80s) to practice one day and had one of my worst practices ever so I never wore a side ponytail again (which is probably best anyway). That I still remember this thirty some years later is pretty telling. Am I superstitious? You betcha.

Clearly I have passed this along to my children. My son was able to play tackle football for the first time this year at school. The first game they won, my son was wearing red, white, and blue flag socks. Every single game after that his teammates would message him and make sure he had the "lucky socks." I bought my daughter a new softball cross necklace and the first time she wore it her team won their tournament. She will not take it off now. We teach our kids to cross their fingers, wish on stars, not walk under ladders, and to hop over cracks on the sidewalk to name a few.

As a coach I did not have this issue. Sure, I would get nervous for my athletes, but at least I was able to watch them compete. I have come to learn I had other sorts of rituals during a meet. I would always hold my cross necklace over my heart during the National Anthem and pray the athletes stayed safe and had a successful day. I had one of my athletes tell me I clapped two times to remind them I was there and supporting them. I always brought red glitter to big competitions to sprinkle over their hair and told them it was good luck. Coaches and athletes all over the world have rituals they partake in. I know some coaches only want their athletes on even number floors at the hotel when they travel. Some coaches will make their athletes eat a specific meal before a game. One coach makes sure he ties his left shoe before his right every time he gets ready for a competition.

One's number seems to be a big one for many athletes. My daughter wears number 11 because it was her grandpa's number when he played sports. My son wears number 5 because it was my husband's when he played sports. People sometimes get really upset if their lucky number is not available. Let's say number 5 has always been your number but someone else already has it. Some players will then choose a number that becomes 5. For example, they will then become 23, 32, 14, 41, or 50 to name a few.

Why do we engage in such behaviors? When we have no control over a situation, we do what we can to feel like we have just a little. Our logical side reminds us any control over the outcome we think we have is imaginary. As humans though, it is natural for us to look for patterns to help us predict outcomes of events. It can be something as simple as, "I wore my red shirt to the last game and they lost so I will never wear it to a game again." We want to believe we have a role in the success or our teams. Superstitions and rituals help create a sense of imaginary control over a game's unpredictable outcome. (Theconversation.com) When we are invested in a team, we look for ways to reduce our anxiety or stress so we can focus on the event at hand.

Shippers and Van Lange 2006 studied the psychological benefits of superstitions and rituals in sport. For some players, the rituals they perform before and during a competition may have an impact on their performance. If the athlete believes what they are doing will actually help them perform better, they likely will on some level. As parents and coaches I am sure we all want to believe we can influence the outcome of an event on some level when our kids are involved. Once they are out there, we can do nothing but support them. It is a helpless feeling so we come up with ways to feel like we have some small bit of control over the outcome. I will continue to do my part as a crazy mom because who really knows if peeking through my fingers is really the key to success.