Emilie Kushner
Reporter
As colorful leaves are replaced with bare trees and runny noses, there is a seemingly more significant change occurring in the halls of New Canaan High School. It is the end of fall sports and the beginning of the winter season, a time when students will trade in footballs for hockey sticks and much more. With the successes of the fall season, and the desired ones of winter so close, we wonder: what part do superstitions and traditions play in sports?
Many athletes accredit their success to their quirky habits that pump them up before a game. Junior Olivia Hompe allots her focus in hockey to her routine. She said, “I usually play Tetris on my phone while I listen to music on my lucky headphones. I think it helps to relax me and keep me distracted so I don’t get too nervous before the game.”
Junior field hockey players Bridget Falcone and Michelle Halpert take a different approach, being more superstitious with their routines. “We have clovers that we kiss before the games, we write our goals on our hands and we have a stuffed animal named Smar who we tell our secrets to.” While somewhat outlandish acts, the absence of these odd routines can sometimes mess up an athlete.
Olivia admitted the lack of her routine does affect her play, “because of the fact that now I have pretty much established it as a routine, it throws me off to do something different.”
However to some athletes, superstitions play little to no part in their sport. Swimmer Maddie Rusch analyzes the mentality behind superstitions. “I actually don’t like to have major superstitions or rituals before a meet, because if for some reason you don’t do that ritual, then you automatically lose faith in yourself for that race,” She said. Her doubt in superstitions do have a point, as athetes sometimes become unnecessarily dependent on them.
Similarly, Junior Scott Levene agrees, doubting superstition. “I believe that by being superstitious, you are easily affected by any change, which causes you to not perform as well.”
Many athletes believe their success is not only determined by superstitions but by a certain “key to success.” Senior John Santoro and Junior Maddie Rusch’s key to success are similar, seeing as they both participate in rigorous year round swimming. “The key to my success in swimming is hard work,” Maddie said “Swimming is such a demanding sport, so you have to work hard to get what you want out of it.” John elaborated on the demanding nature of swimming, “In swimming, you can’t take a season or even a couple days off and expect to come back at or even close to the level you were at before; you’re going to have to work insanely hard just to play catch up for what you missed, and few people have the patience and perseverance to do that,” he said, “That’s why it’s unheard of for good swimmers to do any other sport: there’s just no time for it.”
It is astounding the role that athletics play in the lives of athletes, but it gives us insight into the true commitment and the importance of tradition and team camaraderie.
Many athletes have one tradition that to them, truly exemplifies team camaraderie. “My favorite tradition about high school soccer is the team dinners the night before a game,” Scott said, “Quality bonding time with the boys is always a good time.”
Olivia Hompe thought similarly saying, “I would say my favorite tradition is that after most home games a bunch of us go to the post road diner to eat and, hopefully, to celebrate.”
John claimed boys swimming is the most close-knit of all the sports teams listing just a few traditions. “We have a lot of traditions in high school swimming: the gallon challenge to start off every season, the senior clone day Speedos and parkas, Outback Steakhouse team dinners, the annual superbowl party, going to McDonalds after our championship meets, our inboxes, dying in the 400 freestyle relay, rapping on the bus, hating on Yen, having rivalries with certain other teams, and there are probably more that I can’t remember right now.”
Football coach Lou Marinelli added to the most significant traditions in NCHS Athletics. “Turkey Bowl, or any Darien/New Canaan game is always a great tradition.” He said, “Alumni have spoken to the team at breakfast before the Turkey Bowl ever since 1994 when we first started.”
While traditions are important to teams as a whole, there is a large significance of traditions between younger and older players. Most common is the buddy system where older and younger players are teamed up to exchange buddy gifts and encouraging posters.
While there is no official buddy system for girl’s hockey, Olivia claims they bond in a different way. “Because our home rink is decently far away a lot of younger girls end up getting rides to and from with older ones, and this really brings the team together.” she said.
It’s all about superiority in boy’s soccer as the younger players often do the heavy lifting. Scott Levene explained, “Since the older players are usually more experienced, the younger players usually carry the water, the food, and things that like onto the bus or onto the field.”
John Santoro recognized the significance and pride of traditions. “The swimmers are known as one of the tightest teams, and that’s partly because of all of the strong traditions that we have.” He said, “Now that we’re seniors, we’re counting on the underclassmen to keep them going in the future. UHN.”
“I think traditions are a necessary part of any high school team because it maintains the continuity of the program and team experience over many years,” Olivia said, “These traditions help foster the team spirit and chemistry that is so important to success on the ice.”
The idea of traditions as a whole is larger than just making freshman wear swim caps or hockey helmets to school– it’s about unity and cohesiveness, Traditions, perhaps, are unknowingly a key to success in themselves.
