“I had only one superstition. I made sure to touch all the bases when I hit a home run.” ~Babe Ruth
Superstitious rituals are a big part of sport. From youth, to adult, to professional, everywhere you turn, people seem to have some sort of superstition that they use to help them play their best. Does an athlete’s favourite shirt actually make them win? Can putting on your left shoe first, and your right shoe second make you run faster than your competition?
Well no, but, believing that your superstitions give you an advantage can make you perform better. Belief in yourself, your skills, and your superstitions are powerful. Like pre-competition routines, superstitions provide comfort and familiarity that can spark your confidence. It’s like magic.
When you compete in agility, do you have any superstitions that you follow? Are they too weird to share? If not, drop them in the comments.
Here’s a great video from Arizona State University’s school newspaper The State Press, looking at some of ASU’s student athletes’ superstitions.
Leave A Reply (4 comments so far)
The comments are closed.
Kim
12 years ago
I’m with the girl with the visors… I have a thing about “lucky leashes” – I like to use the same one so I don’t ‘change the luck’. If the leash becomes ‘unlucky’ – it’s time to switch it out of the rotation for a while
Rachel Delaney
12 years ago
Great post & video. I have a special agility baseball hat and neckless which I both wear when I am trialing. They are both very powerful tools for me for sure. Rachel
Claire
12 years ago
Very interesting.
I don’t have any superstitions.
I just warm up my dog and tell him he’s the best in the world, the course is great and we’re gonna nail it. 😀
Claire
12 years ago
I don’t have superstitions.
What I try to have is good habits and good organization.
Be ready on time, have treats at hand, warm up with the dog and such.
I’d like to have a better pre-competition routine though.
But I’m not a superstitious person in general.