By: Taylor Buffington
The Sports Traditions of “MP”
Pep-talks from the coach, special warm-up routines, and team dinners the night before a big game are all part of pre-game traditions that the sports teams here at Mary Persons take part in. Most teams would admit that they believe they wouldn’t be successful if they were to skip a ritual before a game. It’s all about consistency and repetition when it comes to sports.
After talking to Brianna Morgan, I learned that the volleyball team has a team talk before they get out on the floor every night, where they discuss what they can do as a team to perform better, not as individuals, but as one unit. She said that it’s important to them because it sets the attitude for the game.
The girl's soccer team loves to jam out to music on Abbie Davis’ speaker before every game, to get them pumped up. They also huddle up in a circle right before they go out on the field and one of the team members says a prayer. The lady dogs warm-up routine is very unique. To start, the team makes a small circle and Coach Hall calls out a stretch. The girls then turn around and proceed to do the stretch facing and moving away from the center. This creates a large circle. At the end of the warm-up, Coach Hall sprays his water bottle around the circle to get the girls fired up.
Jackie Gore is a junior who runs cross country. She says that the team, “...takes ice baths and we always eat lots of carbohydrates and drink plenty of water before a meet.” The ice baths work to relax the runner’s muscles and heal their tired legs. Jackie said that most of the team loves them and that it always leaves them feeling refreshed.
Katelyn Wilson, a member of the girl's basketball team, says that one of her favorite team traditions is watching the JV boys’ game together prior to the girls’ game. Katelyn said, “It’s fun to come together as a team and cheer on our school before we go out and represent the school. It calms the team down and gets our heads in the game.” The girls also say the Lord’s prayer together right before they leave the locker room to go warm up. Everyone stands in a circle and holds hands, while one of the team members leads them. The team never fails to do this before a game.
Sports traditions are an important part of every team’s identity. They are what defines a team and sets them apart from others. They may be only superstitions, but most teams wouldn’t be able to play to their best ability without them.
Taylor Buffington is an 11th grader at Mary Persons High School and the co-editor of the yearbook.