January 17, 2006
SPORTSRituals a big part of the game
Winning. It’s the ultimate goal of sports, and hard work must be put in to achieve a constant level of success.
Athletes and coaches alike will put in hours of preparation on the practice field, in the weight room, and in the study of their opponents. However, after all the time spent to ensure the best chance at victory, a little luck is always welcomed to give an extra edge.
That’s when superstitions become handy. They are the crazy routines and beliefs that athletes and coaches follow.
Examples are eating the same pre-game meal before every event, having to wear a certain uniform number, refusing to wash uniforms after a victory or to clean a batting helmet, or bouncing a basketball a certain amount times before attempting a free throw.
But what do Mesa Community College players and coaches do to improve their chances at victory?
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Gabbie Garcia, freshman, women’s basketball, “The team shares a moment of silence to collect our thoughts and to prepare ourselves for the game. We also wear a blue bead on our left shoe for concentration and balance.”
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Coach Tony Cirelli, baseball, “Our team touches the 330 mark on the fence in right field a day before a game. In fact, when we went to Okalahoma for regionals last year, we brought our right field sign with us for good luck. As for myself, I can not touch the foul lines.”
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Ree-Ann Fuzy, freshman, women’s soccer, “As a team, we have a cheer that we do before every game, and Vegas (Ashley Skeen) and I have a cool, long handshake we do before each game.”
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Coach Dan Dunn, football, “I don’t (have any superstitions), but I have some players that have to be the last one out of the locker room or touch a certain thing before they go out and play the game.”