Leading up to a big game, many athletes look to music as a way to get pumped up and hopefully improve the way the athlete performs when it comes to game time. Ranging from rap to pop to country, different athletes prefer different genres to get them locked in.

“This might differ from other people’s music taste when it comes to getting ready for a game, some might listen to rap or heavy metal, but I like listening to pop and R&B,” senior lacrosse player Carter Lyons stated. “It gets me in a nice clear mindset and helps me focus on the game instead of other stuff going on in my life.” Carter’s lacrosse team brought home a state championship last year, so who’s to argue the way music affects him and his team?

Research shows that music can help reduce anxiety and improve one’s mood. This helps relieve the pressure a player can feel before a game and also help him or her focus on the task at hand, rather than being distracted by outside thoughts. When a player is focused, it’s difficult to tell how much more effective he or she is going to be. When it comes to getting locked in before a game, sophomore hooper Billy Musgraves takes a different approach.

“Nothing gets me more hyped for a game than rap music,” Billy told me. “An intense basketball game becomes way less stressful and takes away most of the pressure of the game when I get loosened up by rap before tipoff.” Billy is currently trying out for the the famed Rangerball organization, which means hopefully this preparation tactic can get him in the zone enough to rightfully obtain his well deserved spot. His preference isn’t much of a unique one however, with many other athletes choosing the same genre.

The hockey locker room essentially becomes a rap concert prior to a game, as one of the players brings a massive speaker to blast the team’s favorite rap songs as the players get dressed before taking the ice. With its season already underway, the team needs to come out strong and take home as many wins as possible, which means if pregame music is going to help the players do that, it is way too important to ignore.

In contrast to the conventional opinion, junior golfer Kiera Kemppainen chooses to avoid music before she tees off. “There isn’t really a major reason on why I don’t listen to music. I usually just try to focus on what’s going on around me if there are last minute changes,” she explained. “I feel like music would just distract me.”

As you can tell, not everyone agrees that pregame music is an essential tool for a well-played game, but many FHC athletes firmly believe that the outcome to any game can be determined by the mental enhancement provided by music.