Pre-game routines for athletes at Redwood don’t just begin in warm-ups. Get a sneak peek into Redwood’s finest athletes’ approach to winning the game before the game.
By: Reid Bigelow
Athlete Superstitions are specific repetitive routines, Lucky Charms, or taboos that competitors follow to try to control luck and ease pre-game stress, while pre-game rituals are consistent physical, mental, or superstitious actions performed to boost confidence and sharpen focus.
The connection between athletic competition and ritual is hardly new. Athletes in Ancient Greece over 2,700 years ago performed rituals before sporting events.
Today’s athletes who compete at the highest level aren’t all that different from the Ancient Greeks. Some of the best athletes in American sports history have superstitions and rituals that are hard to believe.
One of the most iconic examples is Michael Jordan wearing his lucky University of North Carolina shorts under his NBA-issued jersey every game. He specifically wore the shorts in which he hit a 16-foot jump shot to seal the deal in a National Championship Victory over Georgetown.
LeBron James participates in his widely known chalk toss before the tip-off of every NBA game he plays in.
Tiger Woods has worn a red polo during the final round of every tournament he has played in, rooted in the belief instilled in him by his mother that red is his “power color”. This is known as his “Sunday Red”.
It’s clear this trend of athletes following a ritual before a game is not a new concept, but why do they do it?
Psychologists say rituals and superstitions can give people a sense of control when faced with uncertainty. With all of the variables that come with a game or a match, being in control of something provides athletes with higher levels of confidence.
Along with a feeling of control, when an athlete tries something before a game and it works, it becomes a symbol of self-belief, and they begin to associate that ritual with success.
Landon Guenter ’27 is a testament to the research of these psychologists, as he’s eaten the same pregame meal before every football and basketball game he has participated in since his freshman year. He eats a “turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayo from either Jimmy John’s or Subway.”
For Guenter, the tradition started as nothing more than a pregame meal, but it stuck, and it’s now a must for him.
Along with just eating a sandwich, Guenter feels self-meditation and mental preparation are crucial before he steps out on the field or court. He says it helps him “build confidence and know that I can do what I’m meant to do”
Guenter, who was awarded the 2025 EYL & Redwood DL lineman of the year, credits this pregame routine as a part of his on-field excellence, and he’s planning on continuing his football career at Washington State University.
Caroline Richardson ’27, Redwood girls tennis’ number 2 singles player, approach isn’t too far off, as she feels that taking steps to calm herself down is crucial to her performance in tennis matches. Everything she does leading up to a match is methodical so she can, as she said, “put myself into the right headspace to lock in when the time comes.”
Part of this process to calm and prep herself includes listening to music and praying. This is Richardson’s recipe for success.
Katelynn May ’27, who is 5th on the state of California leaderboard for volleyball kills, listens to Michael Jackson before every game.
May prefers Michael Jackson because she says, “his songs are always super upbeat, uplifting, and it just brings my energy up.”
Along with her pre-game music choice, May enjoys the tradition the Redwood volleyball program participates in: decorating mini volleyballs to throw out to friends and loved ones in the crowd.
May says that “it’s a simple but effective way of team bonding right before the game.” The bond teammates have with one another in team sports is one of the most important aspects of being a successful team, and this pre-game activity that she participates in is more than just a fun and kind gesture towards spectators in the stands. It serves as a way to come closer as a team, which May believes is an important part of preparing herself to dominate.
And dominate she does, as she’s recently racked up her 1000th career kill at Redwood and is planning on continuing her volleyball career at Fresno State University.
Blake Peterson ’27, a senior leader on the water polo team, listens to a specific playlist and eats a spicy Italian sandwich from Subway before every game.
It’s clear great athletes think alike, with both Guenter and Peterson sharing the belief that a sandwich is key to their success, but Peterson’s is noticeably more complex, with a spicy Italian base along with provolone, cucumbers, mustard, mayo, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano.
When asked about this superstition, Peterson said, “If I don’t eat Subway, I usually play bad.” His reasoning for eating a sandwich before every game supports exactly the psychologists’ research regarding superstitions that I mentioned earlier, as it’s become a symbol of confidence and something he feels is a necessary step he has to take in order to perform well.
One final thing that is a part of Peterson’s routine is trying to limit his interactions with other people before warm-ups. Once he gets on the pool deck, Peterson says, “I usually have earbuds in, I’m not listening to anyone, and I usually don’t talk to a lot of people.”
Limiting his interactions with others is something that Peterson feels is an important aspect of getting locked in and ready to play.
Peterson tallied a whopping 81 goals in his last season and is off to a great start this season with 26 thus far. This routine is an important piece in the puzzle that has led to his dominance in the water.
From eating sandwiches to Michael Jackson in the ears, some of Redwood’s best athletes have routines they feel are very important to their athletic prowess in their respective sports.
Reid Bigelow
Reid Bigelow is a sports writer who loves covering athletics because of the emotion it brings out in our athletes, and the dedication it demands to be great. He is in the graduating class of 2028.
Tags: football, redwood high school, redwood rangers, redwood sports, tennis, visalia ca, volleyball, water polo
