Whether it’s not washing your old, stinky gym socks or creating an elaborate dance like in Remember the Titans, pregame rituals are an integral part of the athlete experience. At MHS, it is no different.

Varsity girls’ basketball player, Micah Chose, ‘26, says she starts game day by “always eating yogurt or [peanut butter and jelly rice cakes].” Beyond just pre-game snacks, the varsity team has an elaborate process to set themselves up for success. “We always watch the first half of the JV game,” Chose explains. Then, after returning to the locker room to get ready, Chose says they “hold hands and pray and sometimes do an affirmations circle.” For the girls, the prayer is “something [they] can all do together as a team,” and although every athlete has the option to opt out, none have.

After leaving the locker room, the varsity girls return to the court, meeting at the free throw line. In the final minutes before tip off, they join hands again and recite their key goals for the game. Chose shares an example, saying, “today I’m going to […] ‘move my feet on defense, make layups, or box out’, things like that.” Afterwards, Captain Camryn Olberding, ‘26, enters the circle. She begins to run around the inside of the circle, clapping and hyping up her team. Finally, they put their hands in the middle and chant, “one family, together!”

Regardless of what the ritual is, it’s working. Not only are they ranked #4 in the state by Max Preps, but also #25 in the nation. Their last state title was in 2024, and after a loss in the section finals last year, they are coming for redemption. So whether a gameday yogurt and coming away with a win are causation or correlation, we are all for it!