Success is Rarely an Accident

As an athlete, getting into the right mindset before going out to play a game is incredibly important. Kicking the brain into that next level, to perform at highest capacity, can distinguish the good players from the great. Rituals before games are common amongst the athletic community. Some superstitions are passed from team to team for years. Or, maybe one day you decide to double knot your right sneaker, end up scoring 35 points and now can’t get on the court with single knotted shoes again. Whatever it is, athletes will do whatever is needed to get their mind, body, and spirit ready for peak performance. Let's take a look at some of the most successful professional women athletes and how they create their championship aura.

For Alex Morgan, one of the most recognizable faces in women’s soccer, pregame rituals are part superstition, part tradition, and part performance psychology. Morgan is known for wearing a pink headband during her matches — not just for style, but for focus. It started as a small habit in college, and after a few standout games while wearing it, it stuck. But Morgan also takes her mental preparation seriously. She listens to upbeat music and visualizes her performance on the pitch. That mental imagery is key for her — she doesn’t just imagine scoring goals; she sees herself making specific passes, breaking down defenders, and connecting with teammates. It’s a full-body mental rehearsal that helps her feel prepared before she even steps on the field.

Kate Martin, the Iowa standout who recently made waves entering the WNBA, brings a strong emotional component to her pregame prep. Known for her leadership and intensity, Martin keeps a close-knit approach before games, often revisiting texts or notes from her family or longtime friends. She says that grounding herself with personal messages reminds her of her “why.” She also wears the same socks for every game — washed, of course — as a nod to her college days at Iowa. Her routine is about feeling connected: to her past, her people, and her purpose. That emotional grounding gives her the confidence to lead and compete with heart.

Simone Biles, arguably the greatest gymnast of all time, combines physical precision with mental resilience. For someone whose sport requires perfection down to millimeters, pre-performance routine is everything. Biles’ ritual includes a very specific warm-up sequence and a deep focus on calming her breathing. She listens to music — often R&B or hip-hop — to keep her nerves at bay and maintain rhythm. But perhaps the most essential part of her ritual is visualization. She mentally runs through her routines repeatedly, in exact detail, seeing herself land each tumbling pass and nail every dismount. When Biles visualizes, she says she’s not just imagining success — she’s feeling it in her muscles. That mental repetition becomes muscle memory.

Meanwhile, Katie Ledecky, the long-distance swimming legend, takes a more quiet, internal approach. Her rituals start well before she gets to the pool. Her pre-race day is planned almost to the minute: what she eats, how she sleeps, and even how much time she spends talking to others. Ledecky is notoriously calm before races. She listens to music, but nothing overly aggressive — she prefers slower songs that keep her heart rate steady. One quirky tradition? She always drinks chocolate milk after warm-ups, something she started in her early swimming days and now swears by. It’s equal parts superstition and science — and it works.

Whether it’s tying a headband a certain way, rereading a heartfelt text, visualizing down to the detail, or sipping chocolate milk, these women show that greatness isn’t just about talent — it’s about preparation. Rituals may seem odd to outsiders, but to athletes, they’re part of the foundation. They bridge the gap between nerves and confidence, chaos and control. In the end, these rituals serve as a reminder: success is rarely an accident. It's built, rehearsed, and often starts long before the spotlight is put on these star athletes.

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Lauren Rubinstein is a lifelong athlete who played collegiate basketball at Brandeis University, where she developed a strong foundation in teamwork, discipline, and leadership. Originally from Boston, she recently relocated to San Diego, California, to embrace a more active, outdoor lifestyle. She currently works on the Clinical Operations team at a Neumora Therapeutics, where she takes pride in being apart of a team helping to advance medicine in Neurodegenerative diseases. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, staying active, and exploring new places. She shares her home with her two cats, Teddy and Benny, and her best friend/college teammate Camila.