Hockey goalies (and everyone else too): How superstitious are you?
I'm interested in seeing how superstitious goalies are and everyone else too. I'm sure we've all got some superstition in us all, but are the goalies way more than everyone else?
Also, rate yourself from 1 to 10. One being lowest and 10 being highest.
I'd rate myself at around 7.
Also, post some of your weird superstitions! ...Loaded thread I know!
Why I first started playing goalie (around age 9) I would skate a lap around the net at every stoppage. After a while I stopped doing it, and started loosing. Eventually I quit playing goalie, but looking back, I don't know why I didn't just start skating my laps again.
I'm not that superstitious. I do believe in not saying shutout but if I find something that works I'll keep with it. Also if I have somthing special i'll try and see if it'll bring good luck. Thats about it though.
Why I first started playing goalie (around age 9) I would skate a lap around the net at every stoppage. After a while I stopped doing it, and started loosing. Eventually I quit playing goalie, but looking back, I don't know why I didn't just start skating my laps again.
Hehe, that would have been the first thing I would have done!! Whenever I do something that works I've learned not to change it in any way. And if it does, I immediately try to go right back to what was working!
Why I first started playing goalie (around age 9) I would skate a lap around the net at every stoppage. After a while I stopped doing it, and started loosing.
I use to do that to. I would always go clock wise but I don't do it any more myself.
Hehe, that would have been the first thing I would have done!! Whenever I do something that works I've learned not to change it in any way. And if it does, I immediately try to go right back to what was working!
Looking back, it probably did help me by keeping my legs warm at those early morning games you play when you're a kid.
In soccer I was always goalie. I had a lot of pressure on me being in tier 1 that I was very supersticious and I didn't want to fail so I did everything possible.
I would always make the Holy cross on my chest, top, bottom, left, right. Now I think back on it, kinda dumb resorting to God to help me win some measly match.
I would also slap the right goal post, slap the corss bar, drag my hand on the back netting while moving towards the left goal post, and when i would get there I would slap the left goal post too. I'd move out a few feet, and dig my cleats into the dirt.
I'd eat a Big Mac Meal from McDonalds before every game to get a goal. Then I realized I'm not a baseball player and that stuff hinder's athletic ability.
I would like to say I am a 1 or 2, but think I am a 6 or 7, I always wear the same t shirt under my goalkeepers top (I play soccer by the way, not hockey) and stuff like that, I am sure I have little habits, but they are that rather than trying to bring good luck
1) First Player out of the dressing room after the goalies.
2) Get my linemates to choose which stick i use by the bench at the start of warm-up.
3)Stretch just inside the opponents redline, on the opposite side of the ice as the rest of my team. (can't do this all the time..starts fights, and the refs get involved early.)
4)Stand Behind the net for the pre-game chant(everyone else crowds in front of it.
5) kiss my stick before i take the opening faceoff
6) tap the but end of my stick against my elbow twice before every faceoff.
7) at the end of the game..give my goalie a big hug, and mention at least one specific save that was great.
I've been doing most of these forever.
Rating is probably a 5...i do a lot of stuff, but i doesn't bother me if i forget to do something during a game.
I was a swimmer, backstroke to be exact, and I basically had the same ritual before each meet.
30 minutes before my event: half a cup of iced coffee
During intros: same stretches
First Whistle: jump as high as I can, then pencil dive into the water, then before I come up I usually take a gulp of water and spit it out when I do come up. (actually helps moisten my mouth cause I get nervous a lot of times)
Second whistle: stretch my neck
I never intended to do it, but somehow it became a habit throughout the years...and it did pretty well for me.
I'm pretty damn superstitious in every sport I play. I'll give myself a 9. I'm mixing my two major sports, so don't be too confused.
-Everything has to go on right side first, with the helmet going on after the stick is in my hand.
-Hit the right post first or step in the batters box/on the mound with the right foot first
-Kiss a picture in my locker/bag of an ex boyfriend (he's a superstitious hockey player as well, so he knows and doesn't mind that I do it still)
-Never step on/skate over lines, feet always jump over them
-Always wear the same shirt underneath the equipment, and a different shirt for when it's cold in baseball/softball. Never mix the two.
-have to be the last out of the locker room
-I sing STP's Plush to help me gain my focus
-Everyone has to hit my pads with their stick
-The night before a game, I try to keep my routine the same as I did the last time I had a good game.
-I have these peds socks that I wear that are good luck. Normally they don't get washed until a loss.
-No one is allowed to say shutout, no hitter, perfect game, or anything else that will bring bad luck.
-I need to have focusing time before the first face off/pitch, so I'd prefer if no one talked to me. That's a hard one since my coach normally is screaming at me for something.
These actually aren't all of them, just the ones I can tell you. It may seem bad, but you should see some of the other superstitions I've come across that aren't mine.
You know how goalies like to 'rough up their crease'?? I used to do the same routine when I did that, and then go into a consistent streching routine, but sometimes the coach would throw the pucks out too early and players would be shooting at me as I was trying to go through the routine.
-Always wear the same shirt underneath the equipment, and a different shirt for when it's cold in baseball/softball. Never mix the two.
-The night before a game, I try to keep my routine the same as I did the last time I had a good game.
-I have these peds socks that I wear that are good luck. Normally they don't get washed until a loss.
-I need to have focusing time before the first face off/pitch, so I'd prefer if no one talked to me. That's a hard one since my coach normally is screaming at me for something.
I can relate to all of these. I used to wear the same shirt underneath my jersey (when I played soccer) and didn't wash it until a loss. When I'd go on a goal scoring slump in indoor, everything would get changed. I too didn't like to have people talk to me before games, still don't. When my friends and I play street hockey, I don't often respond when they talk to me. I found that it broke concentration, I don't even look at them anymore when they talk.
Kind of reminds me of Jamie Storr. I saw how he used to lay down on his back and visualize making saves with his gloves in the dressing room.
The only superstition that I have is that I will only drink my coffee out of my Taz mug. I will literally pour the coffee out of "another" mug into MY MUG.
The look on my wife's face when she found about my "superstition" was priceless!
baseball
Tap the opposite side of the plate once and point the bat towards the pitcher twice then set my hands back
When I go deep, always touch the inside corner of the bag with my right toe while jogging around
always wear my blue nike wristband on my left arm (sometimes on the wrist sometimes on my forearm)
I also wear a rubber band on my right wrist which I have on all the time, ever since I started switch hitting I would switch it on my left hand if I bat lefty, keep it on my right hand if I bat righty
football
always wear that same blue nike wristband on my left forearm
with the rubber band, if I play DB I put it on my left wrist if I play WR I keep it on my right wrist
I've got one when I watch sports on tv. If a game is on two different channels then I start with one, if my team is losing or not playing good I switch to the other. Also, if I have home and away jerseys of a team then I switch those depending on how the team does. I used to wear a hat too and refused to take it off until the game was over.
