The pounding heartbeat in an athlete’s ears increases as fast as the sweat on their brow. With hours until tip off, first pitch or kick off, the pressure begins to rise. Only one thing stabilizes focus in an athlete’s approach to the game: music.
Music has inspired competitors for decades now. From motivational tunes to the most recent hits, athletes require music to gain a mental edge on their opponents. It turns them into an animal on the court, field or ice.
Athletes use music to become more focused, energized and hyped for their contest.
With everyone’s hectic schedule overflowing with stress during college, it’s good to have a deep cleansing of the mind to focus entirely on the game. Whether it’s personal drama or the pressure of school getting to their heads – all of that must stay on the sidelines during game time.
“Music is part of my pre-game ritual,” basketball guard Siaan Rojas said. “I feel naked without it.”
With Queen’s classic anthem, “We Will Rock You,” beating in eardrums, music has become synonymous with competition. It has come to the point where the game announcer has duties as a DJ for sporting events.
Trey Dunia, the game announcer for major sporting events at SRJC, values the importance of music not only for athletes, but for fans too.
Dunia sets the mood with pre-game music for a home court advantage at Hael Pavilion with the players warming up and the fans filing into the bleachers. The home court edge stands with the boisterous crowd and to get the fans pumped, up-tempo, rowdy music is necessary.
Once tip-off hits, the music changes tone.
“[For basketball] pre-game music is for the players, in-game music is for the fans,” Dunia said. “Creating an upbeat atmosphere at the game is good for the fans, and having good music and a capable announcer is an important tool for creating that atmosphere.” Music occurs to get the crowd going.
“I can’t speak to rituals in sports, but I’m sure it’s very important to the players,” Dunia said. “Basketball ritual music seems much more prevalent. Most of my requests come from basketball.”
Baseball players need a mental edge too, with their showdown against the opposing pitcher looming.
With each at-bat a careful piece in a game of chess, music can be the only advantage needed to turn the tables in a pitcher-batter standoff.
“Music is very important to me to get myself in the right mindset,” said SRJC shortstop Jake Scheiner. “I listen to music right before the game, and my walk-up songs allow me to stay loose and have the right mindset coming up to the plate.”
The power in music is undocumented. There is no box score or stats for the influence it holds. But the spiritualistic rituals athletes perform on a daily basis keep their heads in the game and music is a major part of it.
It helps boost motivation, reduce stress and elevate an athlete’s mood hours, minutes or even seconds before game time.
Athletes find themselves in a state of superstition for mental stability and music is the portal.
