If you follow professional sports, or have a favourite athlete, you may be aware of some peculiar pre-game routines superstitious players rely on to help them feel and play their best.
Connor Hellebuyck, goaltender for the Winnipeg Jets (NHL), takes to a separate bench from his teammates before the game, where he visualizes what he expects to see in the game. Viewers can watch as Hellebuyck’s eyes dart across the ice. It’s quite the spectacle, and something that has allowed the Jets goaltender to be an NHL starter since 2016.
Hellebuyck’s routine serves as an example of both a physical and mental warm-up. When he’s moving his eyes at high speeds, he is exercising the muscles in his eyes, preparing him for the speed of the game. While he does this, he’s visualizing the game to better anticipate play.
As the shining star of the Queen’s Men’s Basketball team, Cole Syllas, Sci ’24, can rarely be seen sitting still before or during his games.
Throughout the Men’s Basketball games I’ve had the pleasure of covering, I’ve frequently noticed Syllas spends much of his free time on the stationary bike positioned just to the left of their bench.
While I didn’t get the chance to speak to Syllas directly regarding any mental exercises he might be putting himself through during his cycle sessions, I do know that cycling is an excellent way to warm up the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your legs.
This practice stood out to me, primarily because Syllas is often the most dominant player on the court, so watching how he prepares himself to dominate piqued my interest. No other Gaels player returns to the bike as often as Syllas, which may help to explain theendless motor that fuels his aggressive style of play.
On the Men’s Volleyball team, Erik Siksna, Comm ’24, the 6’6” star Outside from Markham, Ontario has a separate shoulder warm-up I saw him practice before the Gaels’ most recent meeting against the McMaster Marauders last weekend.
Siksna—a powerful hitter for the Gaels—works with a tension band pre-game. Similar to Syllas, the exercises are done near the tunnel beside the Gaels bench.
Siksna grabs the tension band, which is tied securely around the bars lining the stands, and warms up his shoulder and chest muscles, practicing the motions put in place when he goes up for his spikes.
It’s no surprise that a player as dominant as Siksna puts extensive care into his warm-up routines, as he currently has 137 kills this season, including 38 aces—the most of any Gaels player.
For those of you wondering how you can improve at your respective sport, or questioning how Siksna and Syllas are able to consistently put up dominant performances, look no further than how they conduct themselves on, and off the court.
Tags
Aidan’s Angle, Cole Syllas, Erik Siksna, Warm-up
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.