Guitar Hero Helps Athletes Prepare

Amy Moritz - Buffalo News

Game time is getting near at Dwyer Arena and Ted Cook is sitting where he normally is in these situations -- in front of the television in the Niagara players' lounge.

The junior forward is completing his pre-game ritual -- playing the video game "Guitar Hero" until the last possible moment. It's Cook's unorthodox way to prepare for a hockey game.

"I don't know if there's really anything to it, but I think my eye-hand coordination is better," Cook said. "The first time I played it, I scored two goals. It just calms me down. Different guys have things they do to get ready, and Guitar Hero just helps calm me down and get me in the flow."

For sports psychology specialist Greg Reeds, an associate professor at Canisius College, it's pretty much exactly what you want your athletes not to do before a game.

"Guitar Hero goes against a lot of the mental preparation we teach," Reeds said. "We want athletes to be focused on game preparation and listening to calming music. I love video games, but that's not necessarily where you want your focus to be before a game. That being said, as long as the player is performing well, I'd let him keep playing it."

Cook's Guitar Hero playing falls into that if-it's-not-broke- don't-fix-it category. His offensive production hasn't suffered from playing it: He ranks third on the team in scoring (14 goals, 11 assists) and first in power-play goals (nine).

And, though he'd love to take Guitar Hero on the road with him, Cook doesn't need to play the video game in order to have a good night on the ice. Of his 25 points, 10 have come on the road (four goals and six assists).

Superstitions are plentiful for athletes of all skill and age levels. Players need to wear their lucky shirt, put their socks on the same way or eat the same meal before every game.

"When I was in high school, I used to eat a hot dog and half a bag of popcorn before every game," Canisius women's basketball sophomore forward Ellie Radke said. "I'm glad I don't do that any more. I don't have any superstitions before the game now. I just go over the scouting report with [teammate] Mere [Mullins]."

Such a pregame ritual can give a player a massive stomach ache. Others can detract from performance, create anxiety and give athletes an easy excuse as to why they failed.

"Athletes have very well-developed defense mechanisms and they have all sorts of ways of coping with anxiety and stress," Reeds said. "They will have all these rituals that have nothing to do with preparing for the game, but they feel they can't play if they don't have their lucky shirt or socks or put their boot on a different way. If something upsets their ritual or superstition, it gives them an excuse to not play well."

Preparing for an athletic event mentally can be as important as preparing physically, and sports psychologists tout relaxing, calming mechanisms and visualization.

"We want athletes to try and preserve their character and feel good and be in a comfort zone," Reeds said. "Rituals and superstitions help them do that, but we want them thinking rationally before a game. Half an hour before a game you need to be tuned into the game. You don't want to have too many distracting thoughts. Ideally, you'd want to listen to soft classical music and let your brain rehearse the game."

After games and practices, it's an entirely different ball game. For example, Reeds would rather Guitar Hero be a reward after a game than a pre-game ritual.

That's how Radke and her teammates use the game.

"Last year we would come home from practice and [Amanda Cavo] and I would play Guitar Hero," said Katie Thorner. "It was a way to unwind and a really good way to spend time with your teammates without playing or talking about basketball."

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