Sophomores Samantha Davis and Taylor Fulton discuss how they get pumped up before a game. Photo by: Elizabeth Jackson
By Elizabeth Jackson
Walking around the halls of Plymouth High School, you’ll see many trophy cases filled to the top with awards. Looking at those, one can tell how serious PHS takes sports.
In an archive issue of the Pilgrim Perspective (then called Ye Pilgrim) Plymouth’s basketball team was still as fierce as it is today, even though it was on January 18, 1914. It was our game against Culver, which we beat them. PHS’s passion and desire for sports have not changed a whole lot, even though it has been 102 years. On January 22, 1914, PHS beat Culver in basketball, which was followed by a dance. However, one thing that may be different with sports, is how athletes get ready for their big days. With the new advances in technology, there is always new ways to get excited for games. Athletes have different rituals which they follow in order to prepare for games.
All of the athletes that have been interviewed have agreed on much of the same things. When asked what they do in order to get enthused for a game, all said they do so by listening to music. Five out of six of them said that they have been doing so since they started playing sports. Nearly all of them have agreed that some, if not all, of their other teammates do the same ritual to get excited for their games/meets. The quote, “I got the height, the reach, the weight, the physique, the speed, the courage, the stamina, and the natural ability that’s going to make me great. Putting it another way, to beat me you got to be greater than great,” by Muhammad Ali is definitely appropriate for PHS’s athletes.
“I listen to music and get mentally prepared for the game, I look at all the guys around me and remind myself that I [have to] do everything I can to help them and know that I can’t let any of them down!” says sophomore Taylor Fulton.
Another thing that Fulton does before every game is pray. He says “Yes, with [G]od you can do anything.” He also says this about the sport he plays “Football, because it’s awesome, everything about it is intense and tough, if it was easy everyone could do it.”
Davis also stated that listening to music before a game or a meet makes her adrenaline start going. She also stated “We used to have a radio in the locker room.”
“I like to play basketball because you can be aggressive, and have fun with the team. I like track because I love to hurdle, and it makes you feel good after you cross the finish line, or made yourself better.” says sophomore Samantha (Sammi) Davis.
Junior soccer player, Blake Milliser, had this to say about how he gets ready for his games, “I listen to some reggae for my boys Hunter Brandt and Cody Poczik.”
All of the athletes interviewed had stated that they listened to music before games and meets.