The crazy thing about sports is that one can still be an individual, even when being on a team. Whether it's your pre-game/performance ritual, your own signature style apparel on the playing field, or by what some people including myself like to call "swagger" when competing, us athletes know how to get some eyeballs on us while we put on a show.
1) RITUALS
You ever see someone doing tuck jumps or saying a prayer to themselves before a game or a race? It's a ritual, and it's more of a practice. Rituals are proven to help stimulate the mind and get locked into the mindset needed to perform successfully in competition. Common rituals we see are prayers, dancing, and adjusting one's uniform. Before a track meet my ritual includes listening to five Drake songs, doing my favorite dance (the drop) and doing my "rhythm bounce." LeBron James, current superstar small forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has a fan-favorite ritual that is imitated around the world: his famous "powder clap."
2) Signature Apparel
You ever see that guy on the basketball court with the super bright highlighter color shoes (that was me in high school) or the girl on the volleyball court with the rhinestone headband? That's their signature. You typically see this more with mature athletes who have been in their sport for a while and have gotten a little tired of the standard uniform. Signature apparel relates to the old saying, "If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you perform good. If you perform good, you win." And that is truly believed by many athletes. Myself, being a collegiate track and field athlete, we have many ways of standing out and looking different than everyone else. One way I discovered that sets me apart is wearing a hat when I compete. My favorite Team USA Olympic Long/Triple Jumper Will Claye started this trend, and I quickly followed.
3) Swagger
Being confident when you compete gives you an edge. It gives you that mental boost and gives you that extra internal push for you to deliver for your team, A popular form of swagger would be high intensity and screams, much like Russell Westbrook, NBA point guard of the Oklahoma City Thunder. One of my favorite athletes with unmatched swagger on the playing field is Kansas City Royals outfielder Jarod Dyson representing my hometown. He has a slogan tied to his name: "That's what speed do" because of his incredible speed when base stealing. When he does, it gets the crowd going crazy and gets his teammates more intense and locked in. And the successful steal to second is capped off with his famous dance shown.
Inherit these three things and make a statement out on the court or field!
Competition and sports are a beautiful thing. The concept of building self-confidence, teaching teamwork, it's amazing. But there is so much more to take out of playing sports than just wins and losses. One day, my stepdad and I were having a conversation about a basketball game that I had just played in and lost, and he told me, "Winning is everything, but it's not the only thing." And for a long time, I didn't understand that, but today it is all clear to me.
