A basketball player’s shoes make rhythmic steps around the thump of the ball. A runner double-checks their socks before their race. A tennis player adjusts their grip the same way they always do. To an outsider, these actions might look insignificant, but for many athletes they are non-negotiable parts of their competition day.
Even though they are rarely talked about openly, athletic superstitions (whether routines, lucky items or specific habits) are extremely common across a variety of sports. From tennis courts to cross country courses, athletes often rely on familiar behaviors to feel prepared, confident and in control.
Superstitions differ from basic preparation because they are tied to personal belief rather than being a physical necessity. Many of these habits develop after a positive experience, and then continue because of the mental reassurance that they provide.
Many famous athletes from a range of sports have their own superstitions even at the professional level. Some of these athletes include Turk Wendell, Serena Williams, Wade Boggs, Tiger Woods and Brian Urlacher. Similarly, even high school players obtain their own superstitions through experiences.
LSE sophomore Owen Brown, a tennis player, said his pre-match habits are all about consistency.
“I like my socks at a specific height, where I’m at the same height every single time,” Brown said. “Then I like to warm up in the same spots, and mostly with the same people.”
Brown also follows his in-match habits, including switching his racket to his left hand between points, even though he is right-handed.
“I feel like if I get away from it, it’s just kind of unnatural and I feel like I’m not as comfortable out there,” Brown said. “It’s just the familiar stuff doing the same thing over and over kind of helps calm me down.”
Freshman Koen von Scheliha, who also played tennis in the fall, said his superstition started with an unexpected discovery during a doubles match.
“I found a broken shoelace on the court,” von Scheliha said. “I picked it up and then we won the rest of the games and the match.”
Since then, the shoelace has become a lucky item he carries during matches. He also mentions listening to Christmas music before playing as another superstition.
“It gives me confidence knowing that I might have a little luck,” von Scheliha said.
While athletes may not always believe these habits directly impact performance, many acknowledge their effect on the mind.
“It’s more on the mental side,” von Scheliha said. “But you can let that mentality affect your performance.”
Boys and Girls Tennis coach, Chris Salem, believes that routines and superstitions are closely connected. One specific routine that starts and gets repeated over and over again, can eventually turn into a superstition.
“Athletes want repetition and you want things to feel familiar all the time,” Salem said. “That’s what high level athletes are always chasing.”
Salem, who once was a highly superstitious player himself, said his habits gave him a sense of control as well.
“It was something that made me feel like I had all of this control,” Salem said. “Sports are so difficult and they happen so quickly that we’re constantly chasing and craving a feeling of being in control.”
Salem also describes a long standing team tradition involving tossing a tennis ball into the Platte River as they cross it during road trips.
“We sort of have this mental thing that we’re going to play well if we can get it [in the river],” Salem said. “There are some times that we don’t make it in, and that creates a tense moment in the van.”
Cross Country and Track coach Alex Markham said superstitions are especially noticeable in running, often centered around food and clothing.
“They always eat the same breakfast or lunch,” Markham said. “If they don’t have the same thing, it kind of messes with kids when it really shouldn’t.”
Many coaches follow their own superstitions throughout the season along with their athletes.
“When I start a sports season, I don’t cut my hair or trim my beard,” Markham said.
Both coaches emphasized that superstitions along with the positive reinforcement for athletes, can become harmful if athletes rely on them too heavily. Younger athletes especially are vulnerable to this dependency.
“They’ll overthink and it creates anxiety that just shouldn’t be there,” Markham said.
“If it becomes something where it overtakes the moments where the point is in play, then it can be detrimental,” Salem said.
Despite the risks it may provide, both coaches believe superstitions are generally a positive part of sports culture. The shared traditions can even strengthen team bonds.
“When I first started [coaching], the Girls Cross Country team had this trophy, and they named it Toby,” Markham said. “It was passed down from team to team by year. It created this kind of little bond.”
Across various sports, athletes continue to find comfort in familiar routines and lucky habits. While superstitions may not change the outcome of a game, they often shape how athletes step onto the field, court or course; making them feel prepared, confident and ready to compete.
