Do Superstitions Have a Place in Soccer?
We all have our own superstitions, but countless athletes take superstitiousness to a whole other level. Odds are, you’ve come across at least a few teammates who have unique, strangely specific rituals they absolutely must perform before every match.
Maybe their cleats have to be tied a certain way, or they have to take a certain number of sips from their water bottle. Maybe they share a moment with a unique good luck charm, like a bracelet.
From an outsider’s perspective, these rituals might seem completely pointless. Technically speaking, they have no real impact on the athlete’s performance. So, are they just a waste of time, or even a sign of mental fragility?
Our answer is no. Before we explain why, let’s go over why superstitions are so popular in sports to begin with:
Why Are Athletes Superstitious?
Athletes do all sorts of things to help them focus and feel confident. It’s especially hard to stay composed in mentally tough sports like soccer, where there’s such a high degree of mistakes made in every game. Instead of behaving in a controlled, predictable manner, players are consciously making their own decisions and reacting to unfamiliar situations, so the match can go in all sorts of directions.
According to Dr. Carly Anderson, Director of Sports Psychology at the University of Minnesota, superstitions are common with athletes because they give them a sense of control in an uncertain environment. A player may feel that performing their ritual(s) shifts the outcome of the match in their favor. Or, a ritual may simply be another tool for helping an athlete get “in the zone” and feel good about the match. They can only perform at their very best after re-tying their shoes exactly three times.
Can Superstitions Be Helpful?
Yes, superstitions can be helpful if they’re conducive to your abilities to focus and relax on the pitch and get into a flow state. In many cases, superstitions are part of a player’s pre-game routine. You may only be seeing your teammate re-tie their shoes three times, but this could be the last of their many routines throughout that day.
If this player follows a strict pre-game routine, it means they also get up at a specific time in the morning, eat a certain meal for breakfast, listen to a certain song on the drive on the match, etc.
One of the points of these rituals is reducing decision fatigue. Every time you make a conscious decision (i.e. “What should I eat for breakfast?”), you are putting your brain to work. By following routines instead of making decision after decision, you are giving your brain a rest. This means that when the match starts, your brain will be fresh as a daisy, ready to make decisions on the fly.
Building Your Pre-Game Routine
As young athletes develop their mental game, they get a better sense of what’s conducive to their focus and what isn’t. Eventually, you might find out that you can only perform at your best if you engage in a certain series of activities before a match, and that’s perfectly fine. These activities can be the building blocks of your pre-game routine. The less decisions you make before a match, the better.
At Beyond Goals Mentoring, we help youth players on the mental side of the game so that they are playing with confidence and thriving in every training session and every match.
For more advice on developing a routine, let’s schedule a mentoring session today.
