Dr. Chad Peters, Precision Performance Concepts
This article is part of the Athlete’s Tactical Kit, a system of ideas and tools that are often ignored at the amateur level but are non-negotiable at the elite level. The goal is simple: give high school and college athletes the weapons earlier, so you can unlock the hidden potential already sitting inside you.
In the tactical world, your loadout is your gear. Every piece is checked, placed, and re-checked before the mission.
It is not superstition.
Well… maybe a little.
But it is also backed by real performance science.
And honestly, the overlap between the two is where the magic happens.
Your loadout locks the brain into Go mode. It is a double check that everything is where it should be so no energy is wasted on second-guessing. That preparation sets the tone for success, speed, fluidity, and performance.
Athletes can use the exact same system. At elite levels, they already do.
An athlete’s “loadout” is their pregame ritual.
From here on, we are going to call it what it is: a Pregame or Pre-practice Ritual. This is the system that locks your body and brain into performance mode, just like a tactical operator’s loadout locks them into mission mode.
Why Pregame Rituals Work for Athletes
Baseline for correction
Like a batter stepping into the box the same way every pitch or an NBA player repeating their free throw sequence, a ritual gives you a reliable starting point. If something goes wrong, you know where to start and how to fix it.
Autopilot under pressure
Rituals reduce hesitation. When nerves hit, you do not want to think, you want to act. A pregame ritual flips the switch to autopilot.
You will always perform to you LOWEST level of training when stressed. These routines help lock in thousands of mental prep points that make you lowest level, much higher. I have worked with some elite level operators in the tactical world and they all say the same thing. “We went over this so many times, we couldn’t miss!”
Energy conservation
The brain burns fuel on decisions. A set routine saves that energy for actual performance.
5 Pregame Ritual Tools from the Pros
1. Bracing Sequence (example: NBA Free Throws)
At the high school level, you might step to the line, spin the ball, bounce it once or twice, and shoot. That is a start and it’s based on what you’ve seen the pros do. You’ve copied it since second grade. Same with a volleyball serve sequence or getting into the batters box in softball and baseball. i used to get into the blocks in track like my Leroy Burrell, not because I knew anything, but because it looked cool and made me feel good.
But at higher levels, pros have been trained through an entire sequence. They have repeated it so many times it would be almost impossible not to do it. Watch an NBA player at the line: every dribble, breath, and shoulder set is the same. Same with a Major League hitter in the box.
This is what performance coach Kelly Starrett calls the bracing sequence. It locks the body and mind into position.
- Grip the floor with your feet
- Lock in your glutes
- Tighten you core, not like you are flexing abs, but as if you were going to take a punch
- Drop the shoulders
feel it? that’s right – and that’s only a simple – pre-event – in the moment tool.
Takeaway for athletes: Build a sequence you repeat every single time. Stance, grip, breath, cue word. Once it is trained, your body fires it on autopilot. It’s the sports version of setting out your tactical tools and making sure everything is there. Step 1!
2. Anchor Song (example MMA walk out song)
Music is powerful. Not because of the song itself, but because of the state it triggers.
For one athlete, it might be heavy hip-hop. For another, it might be gospel. The point is not the genre. It is whether the song flips the switch inside you. Goosebumps. Energy in your chest. That surge of power in your arms.
Pro move: Fighters change walkout songs all the time. They are not loyal to the track. They are loyal to the feeling.
Try this: Pick a song that gives you goosebumps. When it fades, reload with a new one. Do not chase the music, chase the feeling.
3. Sensory Trigger (example – every sports in the ultra elite)
Rafael Nadal lines up bottles and adjusts his wristbands before every match. It looks quirky, but it is a sensory switch that primes his system.
Labron throws chalk.
Kittle has a list of self talk.
Try this: Snap your fingers. Tighten your shoes. Tap your chest. Pick one physical cue and repeat it before every performance. That action tells your brain: we are live.
4. Pre-Battle Breath (NFL Quarterbacks)
Quarterbacks often take one deep inhale and one slow exhale before a big snap. That breath is not just for oxygen. It locks the nervous system.
Try this: One breath cycle before every serve, kick, or at-bat. Link that breath to being ready. Over time, the breath itself becomes the trigger.
5. Mission Word = Focus Reset (example The George Kittle and Ronaldo self talk videos)
In performance, this is often called a focus reset. One word or one phrase that immediately pulls you back to baseline.
These tools are powerful in sports where the plan can blow up instantly:
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A golf ball slices into the rough.
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In the 4×400 relay, you get bumped mid-stride.
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In wrestling, you get taken down with seconds to respond.
A focus reset is like hitting the restart button in your brain. You or your coach say it, and the contest starts over in your mind.
The effects are real:
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Sharper decision-making
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Lower fatigue
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Visible shift coaches and fans can actually see
Try this: Pick your mission word. “Calm. Lock. Next. Attack. or even what our family uses, the system name itself: “Focus RESET!”
Use it every time things slip off-plan. It resets the contest instantly.
Final Takeaway
The Pregame Ritual is not random. It is not just superstition. It is preparation backed by science.
In sports, your pregame ritual does not need to be complicated, but it does need to exist. And the more elite you go, the more important it becomes to use it before every practice, not just every game.
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It locks your brain into Go mode.
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It creates consistency you can fix when things go wrong.
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It frees you to perform with speed, fluidity, and confidence.
Youth. High school. College. Any athlete can build a ritual. Keep it short. Keep it repeatable. Update it when it goes stale.
When you step into the game with your Pregame Ritual dialed in, you have already won the first battle.
