Coaches and athletes at the University of Kansas rely upon training, preparation, skills and some superstitious habits. Some coaches and athletes have daily rituals they practice to keep themselves focused.
Kansas golfer Chris Marshall has a superstitious habit connected to his golf playing. He decorates each ball with highlights and dots before games to bring good luck. “I have to wear tape on my right ring finger and my left thumb otherwise I cant play,” said Chris Marshall, senior golfer. “If I showed up to a tournament without tape, I wouldn’t play.”
Marshall has to put his right shoe on first and make special markings on the golf ball he uses during the game. He outlines the brand name of his golf balls in green and puts a line down the words on the opposite sides of the ball. He tried a new marking Sunday that brought him success.
“I put three circles around the logo for three birdies on the last three holes,” he said. “I ended up going eagle-birdie-birdie so I will most definitely be doing that one again.”
The Kansas men’s basketball team is rich with superstitious players.
Nick Collison, senior forward, makes a wish every twelve hours at 11:11. Every time Jeff Graves, junior forward, comes to a light post or pole, he makes sure his walking companion does not walk on the opposite side an act he calls ‘splitting poles.’
Keith Langford, sophomore guard, switches shoes at halftime if he is having a bad game, and Wayne Simien, sophomore forward, is superstitious about putting on his jersey a certain way.
Lauren Royall, senior rower, also had a superstition about her attire, but broke the streak when it let her down.
“I always had to wear a black sports bra,” Royall said. “I don’t know why, but if I didn’t have a black sports bra on, I thought I was going to do bad.”
Royall said the superstition stemmed from a performance where she did well and happened to be wearing a black sports bra.
She said she then thought the undergarment brought her good luck.
Her superstitious ritual ended when she realized her apparel had no impact on her performance.
“Imagine how mad I was when I wore the black sports bra and did bad,” she said.
“Now I try not to pay attention to what I put on. I just put it on and go.”
Ray Bechard, volleyball coach, said his players did a team-bonding, concentration exercise before walking onto the court at each match.
He said the players wanted to repeat the drill until they were satisfied their perfect routine would have a positive outcome.
Coaches also practice pregame rituals and have superstitions of their own.
Bechard follows the same routine every day that his team plays.
“I try to keep my game-day ritual as consistent as possible,” he said.
Bechard’s ritual begins with a 15-minute team meeting followed by 15 to 20 minutes of meditative quiet time.
