Courtney Dwaileebe is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Valley Christian High School for AZPreps365.com.

As game day approaches, there is nothing else on an athlete’s mind.

They are dialed in on their performance and will do whatever they can to ensure success.

Athletes commonly prepare for games by following routines, rituals, or even superstitions. These can be as little as listening to music to get hyped, or as drastic as not washing lucky socks until losing a game.

Valley Christian High School’s football players have established some of their own routines as they prepare for game day, especially senior kicker Wilson Kaehr.

“My shoelaces have to be tied perfectly and if it doesn’t look straight, I have to retie it,” Kaehr said. “I also have to do the same warmup before every game, which is making sure I kick the same amount of balls every time. It makes me feel like I’m gonna’ do better.”

Sports rituals have been around since ancient Greece. Before competitions, athletes would give offerings to the gods, in hopes of receiving their favor. A well-known tradition today is Lebron James tossing chalk into the air before every game, which he started doing his rookie year.

An integral part of Valley Christian’s pre-game routine is prayer, which is common among athletes.

“Prayer is important to us because we are a faith-based school,” head coach Jake Petersen said. “My goal through coaching isn’t just to teach people to be great football players, but to teach them to be great men. This is the method that I choose to do it through.”

Senior quarterback Gunnar Link said he likes praying with his teammates, but he also has an unusual tradition before taking the field.

“I normally don’t listen to music, which is weird for most people,” Link said. “I have to stay calm. I can get too rowdy and I go out and feel like I do more than I have to.”

Tying shoes perfectly and not listening to music gives Kaehr and Link peace of mind that they will perform well. Although such rituals may seem silly from an outsiders perspective, research has shown that athletes benefit from their pre-game superstitions. For example, a 2010 study by Lysann Damisch, Barbara Stoberock, and Thomas Mussweiler found that an increase in superstitious behaviors leads to increased confidence. This is partially because the actions provide players with a psychologically significant sense of control over situations that frequently boil down to chance.

One thing is for sure as the Trojans and many others take the field: Athletes will continue to be motivated and inspired by the legacy of pre-game rituals.

No. 2 Valley Christian will be back on the field Nov. 9, facing No. 7 Thatcher at home in the 3A State championship Quarterfinals. Kickoff is at 7 pm.