Game day rituals, part 2

It’s pretty easy to understand why athletes have game day rituals, but it cracks me up that parents and fans have game day rituals, too. Here are some fan behaviors recently observed:

• Closing eyes tightly during the team's free throws
• Moving to a new place in the stands if opposing team takes the lead
• Wearing a lucky shirt
• Wearing lucky underwear (I haven’t actually observed this one, which is probably good)
• Leaving the gym altogether and wandering the halls during a very close game
• Screaming like a crazy person at the referees (OK, that’s not a ritual, it’s just a bad habit)

Can fans (or their lucky underwear) affect the outcome of a game? I firmly in the camp of "no." Even if you agree, do you have game day rituals you secretly practice, anyway?

Game day rituals

It’s no surprise that athletes have game day rituals. Michael Jordan purportedly wore his Tar Heel shorts under his Bulls shorts. Kevin Garnett claps chalk at the scorer’s table and screams before his games. My son likes to eat soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for his pre-game meal. How about your athlete? What pre-game rituals do they have?

Parents now vs. parents then

I was a high school athlete in the late 1970s. Back when parents didn’t attended every sporting event their kids were in. (That's me high-jumping in 1978. Notice, no parents in sight.) I grew up 3 blocks from the high school and walked to and from every game and practice. No parents required. My parents attended 1 or 2 games/meets/matches per season. I don’t ever remember them setting foot at a practice. They never talked to my coaches. My folks were busy people and times were different. Hardly any other parents showed up for stuff either. When my mom or dad came, I noticed. I’d have one eye on the game and the other on them, trying to gauge their reaction. Often they’d leave after seeing just a portion of things. That night, we’d talk about the outcome. They cared, but from a distance. They were parent-observers.

Speed forward 30 years.

These days, parents attend every game, meet or match their kids are in, from pre-school tumbling up through varsity hockey. Parents attend practices. Parents coach. Parents offer coaching ‘advice’ from the stands as well as via email and phone. [I bet the real coaches just love that.] These days, a kid’s muscle seldom flexes without the watchful eyes of parents upon them. What’s happened to us? Why are we so involved? Do kids enjoy our attentiveness or does it get on their nerves? I don’t know, but I plan to ask them. Watch for future posts. After I interview a bunch of high school athletes, I’ll report back about what they think. In the meantime, parents, feel free to post what you think.