Freshman Kaila Chen: Cheerleading
Cheerleading鈥檚 complex choreographies can stir worries about stumbles, memory blanks and potential errors. Freshman Kaila Chen calms her pregame nerves by listening to her favorite songs.
It can get stressful at times, and everyone has nerves,鈥� Chen said. 鈥淪o (music) is a good way to take one鈥檚 mind off of worries.鈥�
Chen noted that music has helped the cheer team change the way they approach their performances.
鈥�(Music) brings us together by basically taking our minds off of what may happen in the future and promotes communication,鈥� she said. 鈥淯sually our minds are clouded with thoughts about what may go wrong or what if one of us makes an error, so by playing music, it kind of shifts our mindsets. Instead of being worried, we become excited to promote our school spirit.鈥�
The team also relies upon music when choreographing. According to Chen, these tunes keep the cheerleaders united in their goals.
鈥淚t definitely brings everyone together and prepares us for what鈥檚 ahead,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ithout music to motivate us, it鈥檚 quite difficult to find something to push us forward.鈥�
Although Chen does not create a specific playlist for pregame listening, she shuffles her liked songs: 21 Savage鈥檚 鈥淩unnin,鈥� Kendrick Lamar鈥檚 鈥淗umble鈥� and other rap songs that energize her.
Sophomore Hannah Casale: Soccer
Sophomore Hannah Casale enjoys listening to music while warming up for soccer matches. As she jogs, stretches and does various passing drills with her teammates, she listens to songs like Shakira鈥檚 鈥淗ips Don鈥檛 Lie.鈥�
鈥淚 really (only listen to music) during soccer season,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t just pumps me up, in case I鈥檓 tired, or (I listen) to have more fun.鈥�
Casale prefers songs that are easy to run to, and she has a pregame music playlist that she shares with her team. These shared songs have allowed for moments of team bonding.
鈥淲e argue over music that we like and dislike,鈥� Casale said. 鈥淭he arguing (was) a good way to break the ice for me (because) when I just joined the team, it was mainly upperclassmen.鈥�
Junior Sidhant Lochan: Wrestling
Lightly jogging around the wrestling room, junior Sidhant Lochan stretches with headphones on. Tapping his phone, he sees the screen light up with the album cover of Kendrick Lamar鈥檚 鈥淢oney Trees.鈥�
By listening to music, Lochan mentally prepares himself for his matches.
鈥淧regame songs are either to get you really hyped up, or to get you relaxed and cancel out the nerves,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think a lot of sports need that crazy hype in their head to get the adrenaline pumping, but for wrestling, it鈥檚 more about keeping a cool head and controlling the match in all the ways that you can.鈥�
Lochan specifically listens to 鈥淢oney Trees鈥� because the song鈥檚 mellower and softer tones, compared to Lamar鈥檚 other works, calms him.
鈥淲hile I鈥檓 listening, I try to block out all my inner distractions and just visualize the match in my mind,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t gets me in the zone because for me, it gets me calm but also ready for the upcoming match.鈥�
Other than 鈥淢oney Trees,鈥� Lochan switches things up by listening to Benson Boone鈥檚 鈥淕HOST TOWN,鈥� David Kushner鈥檚 鈥淒aylight鈥� and Bastille鈥檚 鈥淥blivion.鈥�
Senior James Ford: Basketball
鈥淥ne thousand on my feet, stacks spreaded on my seat / Ten thousand on my eyes.鈥� With Travis Scott鈥檚 鈥淢Y EYES鈥� playing through his earbuds, senior James Ford enters the basketball court to warm up for the game, ball in hand as he begins dribbling exercises.
Music helps Ford enter his 鈥済ame mindset,鈥� and he chooses from an array of upbeat tunes that energize him for the game 鈥� specifically rap and hip-hop songs.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a particular song I listen to, pregame,鈥� he said. 鈥�(Instead), I usually listen to a playlist.鈥� Ford updates his pregame playlist often, adding new music that he knows will keep him focused.
Ford also listens to Future, Kanye West and Young Thug, whose songs鈥� uplifting beats mentally prepare him for basketball games. His favorite tracks include Young Thug鈥檚 鈥淐heck鈥� and Future鈥檚 鈥淪olo.鈥�
