The Psychology of Superstitions in Sports

Part of the fun of sports is that you never really know what's going to happen. One team may be the odds-on favorite or may have a better roster on paper, but once a game starts, anything can happen.

That's a big reason why sports superstitions are so common. They give players, coaches, and fans a feeling of control over what is about to happen. You never really know what's going to happen, but maybe if you wear the same shirt or sit in the same spot or refuse to wash a particular item of clothing, you can put your team in the best position to win. At the very least — it couldn't hurt, right?

Famous Sports Superstitions

Nearly every athlete has some sort of routine, ritual, or good-luck-charm that they hold on to, whether they totally believe in good luck or not. You can see it in baseball players that have the same routine between every pitch — whether they are hitting or pitching.

You will see players adjust one batting glove, then another, clap a couple times, hold their bat up, whisper something, and then step back into the box in their hitting stance. The chances are good that the player in question got a big hit at some point when he did that stuff, so now he does it every time.

And the more famous the athlete, the more interesting the superstition. There is perhaps no lucky charm in sports more famous than Michael Jordan's college basketball shorts, which he wore under his pro shorts in every game he played.

Serena Williams has a routine for tying her shoes before a match. And if you look closely, you can see that she bounces her tennis ball very specifically before her first serves. Is it a confidence-building action? Who can say? But she feels like it helps her, and that is interesting.

Speaking of all-time greats, Wayne Gretzky would always tape up his hockey sticks as a part of his pre-game rituals. That's something many, but not all players do, too. For some, they had a good game when they didn't have time to tape up their stick, so they leave it bare for the rest of their career.

These athlete superstitions are a lot of fun to think about and point out when watching with friends, but there can be some aspect of them that is actually beneficial to a player's confidence and comfort while in the heat of competition.

Psychological Effects of Sports Superstitions

When you look at how these superstitions benefit athletes, you will mostly encounter examples of the Placebo effect. In a pharmaceutical research experiment, one group will be given the active drug being tested, and the control group will be given a fake medicine — called a placebo.

Generally, a placebo will have no effect, but sometimes a person taking a placebo will report that they are feeling the benefits of an actual medicine. That's the placebo effect. When a person believes something is working enough that they actually see some results.

The Placebo Effect in sports performance manifests as a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy or manifestation of success. The athlete believes that what they have done will help them perform well, and then they go out and perform well. Let's look at some of the ways that the placebo effect shows up in athletes.

Benefits

Athlete pre-game rituals help players get into a positive mindset. They allow the athlete to create a sense of continuity from practice to the playing field and make a high-pressure situation feel like just another day.

When it comes to superstition vs skill, obviously, skill will win out. What superstition helps athletes do is get themselves out of their own way so that their skills can shine. It offers an element of control in a wholly unpredictable arena.

Many sports superstitions reinforce positive behaviors that serve to help athletes get into a great headspace before a game. But what happens if a superstition goes too far?

Potential Pitfalls

When looking at how superstitions affect the brain, we have to pay attention to the potential drawbacks of over reliance on superstitions or lucky charms. If a player can't get on the field without doing their routine or holding a specific item, they may be brushing up against full-blown obsessive compulsive disorder.

That can mean higher anxiety and poorer performances. So it is important that athletes have access to people that can help them learn how to break bad habits.

Fan Superstitions

So why are fans superstitious? We literally cannot affect the action on the field, so why do we insist on wearing the same jerseys without washing them until a winning streak ends? The answer largely lies in building community and the joy of establishing traditions.

The best fan traditions make you feel not just like a part of a group, but a part of the team. Why else would Liverpool fans sing You'll Never Walk Alone before every soccer match? Because they love Carousel (a musical about a guy at a carnival marrying a girl who works in a mill)? Of course not! It's because it brings them together!

The thing is, a tradition doesn't have to be huge. It can be specific to you and your group of friends and loved ones that get together to share the joy of sports. Starting your own new traditions can be as easy as stepping into a hole — a Rabbit Hole, that is!

Your New Home for Sports

The Rabbit Hole has 42 screens placed around the joint to make watching your favorite team easy. And there's enough room for you to walk in on the day of the game or set a time for a private watch party event.

Either way, you'll get game-day drink and food specials and an atmosphere that can't be beat. Whether you're the type to carry on serious debates about sports rituals vs mental preparation as you cradle a lucky stuffed animal, or you just like having a beer and cheering, The Rabbit Hole has a space for you.

So bring your sports superstitions, bring your appetites, and bring your passion. Reserve a space or try walking in, just get to The Rabbit Hole for the best time you can have watching the greatest athletes in the world.