Day 29

Put On by Young Jeezy ft. Kanye West

What’s the disease called where you have to do certain things a certain way and in your head if you don’t your whole family dies? I think it’s OCD.

Anyways.

Back in high school, I started this pregame routine before every game. I had to listen to the same four songs all at certain times during my warmup.

One was Country Shit by Big Crit ft. Ludacris. I’d play it as soon as the car parked and I was on the way to the stadium. Right after was this banger up above. I’d play it right as I walked in the tunnel.

I could listen to whatever for a while, but as soon as I started to head to the locker room I’d play Kush Coma by Danny Brown ft. A$AP Rocky. Lastly I’d play Attak by Rustie ft. Danny Brown as I was putting on my pads.

I had to pause the last song at 3 seconds. If all of this didn’t happen, I’d spiral.

Same routine for 8 years straight.

It’s hard to mimic that routine in my current life. I don’t hype myself up for a call, but I have enough intermural sports in my life nowadays that let me relive some of my athletic days. It wasn’t so much the game. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being in the moment, but there was so much more that went into it. The pregame routines, the locker room banter, everything.

Those little things add up enough to where you can reminisce on all of it when it’s all said and done.

My boy and I had a HUGE game against another undefeated team tonight in pickleball. I had to dial it back and go back to my roots.

I had this song playing as if I was getting ready for Game 7 of the world series, slapping the whiffle ball against the wall like my life depended on it. It was fun to get back in that zone. I don’t get to do it often anymore.

We swept, 3-0.