pre-meet rituals and superstitions

[jdf]

My daughter's first level 6 meet is this Sunday. After her last practice yesterday we stopped to get ice cream. She chose gold medal ribbon flavor for good luck. This made me wonder if any of the girls here have any special rituals or superstitions before a meet.

 

[Optionals United]

Well since all my meets are like an hour from where i live, my mom and i ALWAYS stop at jamba juice and i get a starwberry surf ride before the meet! it gives you good evergy for the meet expecially if it is in the morning or like at lunch time and you dont want to eat to much.

 

[gymjoy]

Mmmm, Strawberry Surf Rider is my favorite, though dd prefers Strawberries Wild....

As for rituals or superstitions, surprisingly my dd does not have any physical rituals or superstitions. However, she has a team-mate who has her bag full with special stuffed animals for good luck, many, according to her mom, which have made the trip to every meet since her first. She is a 13yo level 9 this year, LOL.

I think my dd's rituals are in her head - visualizing, focusing, trying not to really think about a meet. We do not talk about the meet before hand. We just pretend it is an extra practice with nicer hair and leo. I learned a long time ago with her that the more my husband (especially my husband) or I talk to her about how she might do or her plans for the meet - the worse she does. She needs to be with-in herself. Afterward, no matter how things went, she's fine.

Dd's old gym use to do a cheer the last practice before a meet with everyone's hands on this old garden gnome. Apparently it had been around forever, but I don't know the story.

 

[Optionals United]

Another one is we ALWAYS listen to Taylor Swift in the way up. We will have to get her new CD for the upcoming season! neither of the 2 things are really superstitions but we just do it as a way to relax and get pumped up for the meet.

 

[shadow]

on the way to my meets i had to listen to certain bands and eat cheez its...
it was weird^^

 

[All Chalked Up]

Glitter is a must! I have to eat fruit or have a fruit smoothie before the meet. I have also brought the gold medal I got at my first meet.

 

[gymnastbeth]

Not exactly a ritual, but more of a bad habit. I get ready WAY to early, and then check my bag about 100 times to make sure I have everything. Inevitably, I always forget something.

 

[cathiann]

As for rituals or superstitions, surprisingly my dd does not have any physical rituals or superstitions. However, she has a team-mate who has her bag full with special stuffed animals for good luck, many, according to her mom, which have made the trip to every meet since her first. She is a 13yo level 9 this year, LOL.

Hey, my 12 yr old level 9 does this too! She has like 6 or 7 little animals--she lines them up in her gym bag for every meet.

 

[All Chalked Up]

I also have to wear my favourite pajama's the night before, go to bed early and listen to my "pump-up playlist" all night and all morning and all car-ride before the meet!

This one isn't a superstition or a ritual but I think it's kinda funny: I always feel like it's Christmas Eve the night before and Christmas Day the day of the meet! I'm not sure if it's because I'm excited or what, but I'll wake up and be like, OMG IT'S CHRISTMAS!

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

I'm a nervous baker... So I always make food for the meet the night before and then bring it to the meet, usually no one ends up eating it because we are all so nervous!