Here’s Why You Have To Pay Attention To Basketball Superstitions

To score points we must curry the favor of the Spirits

Let’s face it, athletes are an extremely superstitious bunch.

Some baseball players wear women’s lingerie in an attempt to break out of a slump. Some athletes will not change their stinky socks for weeks if they are playing well.

The effects of national attention and millions of dollars can create some strange reactions from players in the league.

In a profession that boasts so many different variables, there is little that each individual player is truly in control of at a given point. Many of these players turn to rituals or superstitious habits to give themselves a sense of control in a crazy world they find themselves in.

Some rituals and superstitions truly make you scratch your head and even chuckle a bit. But for whatever reason, these players have strange habits that they truly believe has meaning on their game.

Others feel their success hinges on having things done in such a particular manner that is often bizarre and inexplicable to anyone but the player doing it.

College basketball is not immune to these bizarre superstitions. These student-athletes and their fanbases often take drastic measures or simply do weird things to ensure their team’s success.

There are few spheres of life that inspire us to cling to strange superstitions and rituals more than sports. Perhaps it’s because sports like football, basketball, hockey, etc. straddle an excruciating line where the outcome of a game seems dictated as much by fortune as it is by plays.

But, these superstitions aren’t all excruciating rituals that involve wearing the same ragged T-shirt you wore a decade ago when your team made the playoffs. Some are unique celebrations rooted deep in a team’s legend. Superstitions and rituals are often as interwoven into a team’s or athlete’s identity as the biggest wins and losses from past eras.

And, it’s not just the fans who get compelled by our ancient lizard brains to do things we know are silly—athletes sometimes have even more bizarre superstitions than their fans. These are the weirdest superstitions and rituals in sports.

When talking to others, do you have to have one leg up on any available surface, whether you’re sitting or standing? Sure, it can help to strike a more powerful pose and convey your confidence.

One thing’s, for sure. You do have to be strong, so need to focus on physical condition. Strength training, weight training. It’s all about function over form (with some emphasis on form, because when you’re out there on the hardwood, the diamond, or anywhere else, it does help to look good).

These and other things Coach Von Pidgeon knows backwards and forwards. So when she gets approached by a student that she takes to be her next protégée, CVP is ready with the guidance.

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SERIES CREDITS

Directed By
Stephanie Little

Written By
Stephanie Little
Sam Haft
Stephanie Streisand
Dwayne Colbert

Producer
James Risolo

Executive Producer
Stephanie Little

Executive Producer
Sam Haft

Executive Producer
Chris Michael

Executive Producer
David Saint

Chelcie Lynn as Coach Von Pidgeon
Renny Cromwell as Vice Principal Tucker
Kyra-Michelle Jacobs as Jenna
Pallavi Gunalan as Lisa
Nys Trejo as Tess
Bronwyn Kilcrease as Rochelle
Caroline Stella as Kelsey
Bayley Ellenburg as Marcy

Director of Photography
Sean Conte

Production Designer
Elaine Carey

Edited by
Kat Parlardy
Kati Skelton

Co-Producer
Patrick Stone

Costume Designer
Emily Ting

Casting Director
Riley Hamilton

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DIT
Collin Lapinsky

Assistant Editor
Jeremiah Durian-Williams

Color Correction by
Jeremiah Durian-Williams

Post-Production Sound Mixing
Collin Lapinsky

Sound Mixer
Ryan Agostino

Boom Operator
Michael Alaynick

1st Assistant Director
Bryan Lake

2nd Assistant Director
Richard Dalton

Script Supervisor
Michael Hadge

Production Coordinator
Ronnie Deszie

Production Assistant
Charlie Thomas

Production Assistant
Andrew Johnson

Production Assistant
Carlynn De Joya

HMU Supervisor
Michelle Diaz

HMU Assistant
Roxy McDanel

Wardrobe Assistant
Sam Muglia

Set Decorator / Propmaker
Shannon Pollak

Set Dresser / Shopper
Sarah Lew

Set Dresser / Swing
Theo Cohn

Set Dresser / Swing
Brendan Sheley

Set Dresser / Swing
Nick “Spooky” Logie

B/Cam Operator
Austin Puckett

1st Assistant Camera
Tevin Teixeira

Set Dresser / Swing
Zach Miller

2nd Assistant Camera
Stevie Murrell

Props
Samantha Villegas

Gaffer
Anthony Stivale

Key Grip
Philip Collins

BB Electric
Callum Barrass

BB Grip
Sean McQueen

Grip
Nick Herman

SVP, Physical Production
Jim Ziegler

Mgr. Physical Production
Carly Reeve