The Art of the Pre-Game
From favourite meals to musical motivation, what athletes do to get themselves ready for competition.
There is a fine line between routine and ritual and many athletes straddle this line while preparing for a game. When sports fans think of pre-game rituals, they will often think about Celtics legend, Bill Russell, puking before every important game. Russell would become so intense and get himself so worked up before competition that he would vomit. That is generally the exception. While many athletes have some sort of ritual or routine that helps make sure they are physically and mentally ready to compete at an elite level, rarely does it lead to the point of pre-game puke.
In the days leading up to competition, many athletes start to mentally and physically prepare themselves. Much of the physical preparation is done over a long period of time before game day, but in the short time before an athlete needs to perform, little things are done to make sure their state of mind is right. What may seem like insignificant routines to us make the difference in an athlete’s confidence in their ability to perform. Peggy Assinck, a member of the Canadian women’s sledge hockey team, keeps her mind sharp by watching hockey leading up to her own competition.
“It’s to get my brain thinking about hockey,” Assinck says. “I am the only person on the women’s national team that’s in British Columbia, so I don’t get to play hockey all that often.
Canadian wheelchair rugby player, Trevor Hirschfield, focuses his attention to his opponents in the days before competition. “I’ll watch a lot of video of the teams we are going to be playing and go over everything we worked on in training camp,” Hirschfield says.
Not only do athletes need to prepare themselves, preparing equipment is also part of an athlete’s physical routine. If their equipment is in good condition, it can benefit both their physical and mental preparedness. Athletes need to know that they are in control of their own performance and that loose pads or a busted lace are not the difference between winning and losing. A few days before a competition, Assinck will take stock of her gear and make sure everything is the way she needs it to be. “I spend at least a night or two with all my tools out all over the floor, making sure everything is tight and my blades are sharp,” Assinck says. “Going through that feels a little ritualistic, double checking everything and making sure the equipment is not the reason for me not performing at my best.”
In the days or weeks leading up to competition, athletes often have a lot of time alone to prepare themselves, but on game day, teams will spend most of the their time together. Game day is the most important day for an athlete and they are highly regimented by their coaches. Meals are incredibly important for athletes to be able to perform in top condition. No matter the place, Assinck will do her best to get in her favourite pre-game meal, two pieces of toast, two eggs and some oatmeal. “That’s been going on for ten years now,” Assinck says. “It is generally available wherever you go, whether I’m in my kitchen or at a hotel and I seem to perform well on it.” Assinck knows her body well, she knows through experience that this meal will be easy on her stomach and will provide her with the necessary energy she needs to compete.
An athlete’s diet is closely monitored and their team will often provide them with pre-game meals that they know will give the players the fuel they need to perform. Brad Bowden, a player for the Canadian men’s sledge hockey team, says along with his coffee he eats pretty much the same food before every game. “We don’t really have a choice of what we eat, we get whatever Hockey Canada has provided us,” Bowden says. “Chicken and pasta is usually the meal we get pre-game.”
Hirschfield likes to keep his pre-game meal simple if he can; a classic peanut butter and jam sandwich is what he turns to for his pre-game meal. “I feel like I live off those at tournaments,” he says.
Video Courtesy the Golden State Warriors.
Most players have a pre-game routine that mentally and physically prepares them to play, but few are as extensive and choreographed as Golden State Warriors point guard, Steph Curry. This video gives a good representation of his routine.
Many pre-game routines are done as a team, like eating, dressing, and stretching, but what is most unique to each individual athlete is what they listen to. Athletes use music almost universally as a way to get in the mood for competition. “If I am driving to a game and I have total control, music is a huge part of that,” Assinck says. “I really appreciate having that time by myself to really feel empowered by that music and I think that is a really important thing.” Being one of the older members of her team, Assinck leans more to the classic rock sounds of “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, while Hirschfield prefers the lyrics of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. The genres may differ among the athletes, but the effect is still the same; music puts them in a desired state of mind that prepares them to compete.
Although music is played and teammates are chat with one another, in the moments before the game, there is often calmness in the dressing room. This is the time when the players take some time to themselves, to get in their own zone and doing what they need to do to get ready. While mentally preparing for competition, Bowden thinks about the most important people in his life and the impact they have had on him. More than music or anything else this provides him the perspective and motivation he needs as he waits to hit the ice. “I lost my father this year,” Bowden says. “There are a lot of people in my life who have really helped me get to where I am, so when I get motivated, those are the things I think about.”
Bowden understands all the sacrifices the people around him have made and he feels pressure to succeed.
“I think of myself sometimes almost as an investment,” Bowden says. “I’ve got to be ready to go out and do what those people have invested their time, money and love in and go out and play the game that I love.”
We sometimes dismiss pre-game routines as ritualistic and superstitious, however, most are not. They help to centre an athlete both physically and mentally and they allow them to be able to compete to their highest potential. Assinck admits that it is not always possible to have her favourite meal before every game and while she does not think it will change her performance there is an added confidence and comfort if she is able to get in her toast, eggs and oatmeal.
