Superstitions seem to be lurking around each field, court, and swimming pool RHS students touch. Many students at Roseville believe their sports rituals will reverse any jinx against their team and give them good luck. Varsity football player Trevor Gornicz believes a team can jinx itself, but all they can do is huddle together and play their best. Common rituals include listening to music and concentrating before the challenge. Varsity soccer player Jessica Zitka listens to Eminem before every game to get pumped and ready to play. Other athletes look to food as a sports ritual for the energy they will burn off, and hopefully to bring the Panthers a win. Varsity swimmer Stephanie Parker eats Jimmy John’s before every meet, as not only a good tasting snack, but a good karma routine.

Regardless of the sport, game day rituals give the player peace of mind and the luck of the sports gods. For varsity soccer player Josh Rolder, taking a shower before every home game is his luck giving ritual. He hopes to bring to the team.

Like the stereotypical and cliché lucky clothing you see in the TV shows and movies, we have some lucky clothes here at RHS as well. Varsity football player Tommy Butler says he puts his game socks on the night before. Taping his shoes and putting on his headband is what varsity soccer player Zak Carik does on game day.

Students are not the only ritual having inhabitants of RHS. Former wrestler and current wrestling coach Justin Petrone says he always thought about his strategies and tactics to use on his opponent before each meet.

It seems that we are always hearing of sport superstitions and rituals that professional athletes practice, but to know that even RHS’s athletes utilize their own game saving techniques, it makes what might seem silly to some, necessary routines for others.