Abstract
Many studies have examined the superstitions of athletes and sports fans. However, to our knowledge, this is the first study to exclusively analyze sports coaches’ superstitions. Six university head coaches were interviewed in this exploratory analysis. The coaches were asked a series of open-ended questions regarding pre-game rituals, lucky charms, clothing and accessories, numbers and dates, team-specific superstitions, and team charms. Results indicate that the coaches report a wide variety of superstitions and rituals related to performance in team sports. This paper ends with a discussion of the study’s limitations, as well as suggestions for future research.
Presenters
Michael OstrowskyProfessor, Sociology, Southern Utah University, Utah, United States Phil Roche
Southern Utah University
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Sporting Cultures and Identities
KEYWORDS
Sports, Coaches, Superstitions, Superstitious, Routines, Rituals
