With sport comes tradition and ritual. From classical music to hairstyles, pregame routines and rituals, there is a wide range of customs used by University of Iowa student-athletes. 

Regardless of the sport, there will always be an element of tradition and routine.

While there is one common goal for a team, every athlete takes a different path to prepare themselves for competition. Some like to calm their nerves by listening to relaxing music or meditating, while others like to get fired up. 

Most athletes use pregame routines to gain an extra edge over their opponents. If they did something a certain way or ate a specific food before a game they have success in, they likely continue that custom every single game.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have many different kinds of pregame routines across all of its 22 varsity sports. 

Iowa football quarterback Mark Gronowski, like many other athletes, listens to music as part of his pregame routine; however, his choice in music is less than typical.

“I’m always listening to classical music,” Gronowski said at football media availability on Aug. 26. “Nothing like head banging or heavy metal or anything like that, just because I like to calm my nerves, and the emotions of the fans and and the people around me already get me going enough, so I just listen to classical music to calm myself as much as possible.”

Gronowski’s relaxing pregame routine has led to him becoming the all-time winningest college quarterback in NCAA Division I history, totaling seven rushing touchdowns in five games this season. 

Some like to make a routine of their appearance for games. 

Third-year field hockey forward Rachel Herbine said she wears the same hairstyle every game — two braids into a single ponytail. Herbine has three assists and one shot on goal this season for the Hawkeyes.

Some sports are more intense or physically demanding than others, but the same principle applies — routines create a sense of focus, control, and confidence.

Iowa women’s golfers Maura Peters and Ximena Benites stick to relaxed routines, as the team began working with a mental coach last season to better prepare their minds. 

Golf is widely considered the most mentally challenging sport, so eliminating distractions gives the Hawkeyes a boost in confidence.

“He’s gotten me, in the last month or so, to do breathing [exercises] before. So I’ve been doing that just to get myself calm before my round starts,” Peters said at media availability on Sept. 29. 

“I personally read the Bible before I play,” Benites added. “That’s become my habit now, so I get calm by doing that, and it works.”

Benites also said the entire team has started doing body scans through an app called Calm. 

According to the Calm app, the body scan is a form of meditation involving paying attention to the body in each body part. Meditation reduces anxiety and improves mindfulness.

The crowd, opponent, or pressure to live up to a certain standard can easily become detrimental to an athlete’s performance.

Think about a baseball pitcher having “the yips.” The yips are common in all sports but most apparent in baseball. If a pitcher has trouble locating and seems wild or out of control, they are likely experiencing a sudden, involuntary motor disturbance.

A common story in Major League Baseball that features the yips is that of Rick Ankiel’s. A former pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Ankiel famously melted down on the mound in Game 1 of the 2000 National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves.Ankiel threw five wild pitches in the third inning, leading to two runs for the Braves. 

The pitcher said there were multiple times on the mound when he would suddenly black out during his delivery, leading to no control over his pitches. 

Ankiel’s yips grew so bad that he switched positions, becoming an outfielder in 2005. 

Ankiel became an outstanding outfielder, known for his powerful arm strength. He broke out as a hitter in 2007, smashing 25 home runs with an .863 on-base plus slugging percentage.

While Ankiel’s transition from a promising pitcher with the yips to a solid outfielder worked out, most athletes don’t want to go through the same struggle, hence why they use pregame routines to calm their nerves.

The UI has produced many great athletes, and most of them have emphasized remaining level-headed so they don’t run into a situation
similar to Ankiel. 

Hawkeye football fans likely noticed at some point throughout the 2024 season that running back Kaleb Johnson would sit against the field goal post and meditate before each game.

Johnson became one of the best backs in Iowa football history, totaling a program record 21 rushing touchdowns in 2024. Johnson was talented, but seeing his calm nature before the game, it’s clear he created an edge with his pregame routine.

Most Iowa athletes prefer calming routines, but first-year soccer midfielder Elle Wildman and fifth-year goalkeeper Taylor Kane are in the opposite group. 

“My only thing is I listen to music, and in high school and club, I used to eat a banana before every game,” Wildman said. “[I listen to] a lot of rap before games.”

“I listen to the classic 2000s throwbacks, kind of fun and energetic pop songs,” Kane said. “The one, specifically, I always listen to is ‘No Hands’ by Waka Flocka.”

Wildman has four assists through 12 games this season, and Kane, a grad student, has allowed just three goals in 540 total minutes with 12 saves. 

According to St. Charles Health System, athletes’ mental training is just as important as physical training. Breathing exercises, positive self-talk, and progressive muscle relaxation help mitigate performance anxiety. 

St. Charles Health also says visualization, mindfulness, and pregame routines can sharpen focus, leading to improved performance come game time. Hawkeyes use these routines to create an advantage over their opponents, and it leads to success across multiple sports at the UI.