Alex Morgan always wore her signature pink headband. Lebron James does a chalk toss before every game. Michael Jordan wore his college shorts underneath his Bulls shorts. Serena Williams wore the same pair of socks for each match in a tournament (“The Power of Pregame Routines, Rituals, and Superstitions”).
But why?
Pregame rituals and superstitions are a pillar in the world of sports. Almost every athlete can point to at least one thing they do every game day. Junior Ava Katz, a forward on the girls’ varsity soccer team at Princeton Day School, swears by her routines: “My pregame rituals are for Nica to braid my hair before every single game—two braids going back into a ponytail with a bubble braid—and to tie Mae’s shoes.”
In addition to having her shoes tied by Katz, sophomore goalie Mae Braswell has other things she makes sure to do before games: “For away games, I sit next to Ava Katz on the bus… I eat the same lunch… and have the same breakfast. I also put on my left sock and left cleat first, and for my warmups, Coach Kelly and I always start with crosses on the left side.”
Although widely believed in, do these superstitions actually make a difference? Katz believes they do: “These [rituals] definitely work because we are 14-0!”
It is not just Katz; there is scientific research that supports pregame rituals having positive outcomes. Superstitions provide perceived control over a situation, cultural and societal connection, and a way to cope. Before a game, athletes may feel nervous because they don’t know what will happen. Superstitions help minimize this: “The benefits of calming one’s nerves, grounding oneself in the present (especially in a high-stress environment), and the power of placebo have been proven to elevate performance reliably—possibly explaining the persisting popularity of superstitions over generations” (Travers).
So maybe it is not the superstitions or pregame themselves that lead to victory, but instead the feelings that they cause athletes to experience that result in better performances. Or, maybe it really is just the superstitions doing their work.
Works Cited
“The Power of Pregame Routines, Rituals, and Superstitions.” IMG Academy+, https://plus.imgacademy.com/developmental-coaching/mental-performance/articles/power-pregame-routines-rituals-and-superstitions. Accessed 14 October 2025.
Travers, Mark. “3 Reasons Why Superstitions Work.” Psychology Today, 19 November 2023, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-instincts/202311/3-reasons-why-superstitions-work. Accessed 14 October 2025.
