Generally, people like to watch their friends succeed especially during games. But what makes people play so well? Many East athletes have specific pregame rituals that they think is the secret to success.
“I’ll watch a Disney movie or something, just something that’s familiar. I feel like it calms me down,” junior Will Characklis said.
Characklis plays both basketball and baseball. His movie of choice differs, but often is “Robin Hood.” Some focus on breathing while others crave the adrenaline rush during the pep talk before walking out like sophomore Kyle Matthews. Matthew expressed the importance of coaches talking before running onto the football field.
“Coach reminds us that we are a team out there. It’s not just me and it’s not just you, it’s us.” Music has been a recurring tool that is used to help the Wildcats get ready for game day. Sophomore Addi Manuel, junior Charlie Horne and sophomore Ben Portnoy like to blast music before games to really get locked in, but their genres differ. Horne prefers country, while Portnoy has a specific rap song he listens to: “Dreams and Nightmares” by Meek Mill.
For sophomore Cole Shuster, things look a little different. Shuster said that he throws up before every game and does not eat anything before their matches.
“I don’t really make myself throw up, I know it is going to happen so I just get it out of the way,” said Shuster, who plays golf.
He also finds that having the same morning routine before golf tournaments benefits the way he plays.
“I always try and do the same thing in the morning and I never sleep on the car ride there… I don’t really do anything special, I just don’t eat breakfast and try not to do anything besides brush my teeth,” Shuster said.
East’s baseball and football teams like to pray together before games, but they aren’t the only ones. You might notice players setting themselves apart from others before games to pray, like Manuel.
“Before every game, I always try to pray for the safety of my own and my teammates, and for us to have a fun time, win or lose. God really helps me keep a steady mind during games,” Manuel said.