What is going to get a football player ready to break through an offensive line, a marathon runner prepared to complete their run in 3 hours, or compel a rock climber to make it to the peak of a mountain? In pop culture, professional athletes can be seen wearing headphones before going to compete or listening to music while practicing. During professional, college, and some high school sporting events, songs are played over loudspeakers, creating an atmosphere of noise and music that can be connected to the sporting event at hand. The media as well has used this image of an athlete’s need for music as a successful marketing tool by merchandising and creating athlete signature. Some force drives all these individuals to strive to achieve the best they can. Could that force be music?

It is common knowledge that a song can get a person pumped up or in the right headspace for success. A song can provide the motivation, distraction, or background noise for an athlete to achieve in their sphere. This motivation can come from a driving baseline, empowering lyrics, or even just the general atmosphere surrounding a song. A distraction can help athletes ignore the pain or physical demand of an activity, and instead focus only on the details that need to be completed to succeed. Lyrics can always have the effect of changing a mood or general feelings toward the task at hand. For a runner, a song with a slower, even beat that is conducive to breathing along to fits well,while for a football player, a song with weight and emphasis behind it to get in the headspace to engage in a much more physical sport than running is more fitting. From hard rock to bluegrass country, there is a time and place for any song, but what kind of song fits in the place before a sporting event.

“A rap song always gets me in the mindset to win,” said senior John Krause. Krause is a member of the football and baseball teams. “When I look for a pump up song, I look for 3 things: it’s gotta be hype, has got to be provocative, and must get the people going.”

While those kinds of songs are widely known as “pump up music,” there are many other types of songs that can be pump up music.

“I personally prefer rap,” said junior Emilie Moorman. Emilie is a member of the lacrosse and golf teams. “However, everyone…[their] own thing that works for them. [A pump up song] just has to get you in the mindset to play your best and do what you need to do in games.”

Rap is a popular favorite for many students, as represented by Krause and Moorman. Although different people have different pump up songs, genre similarities are very common, especially with rap being a popular genre in the current era.

Many playlists made for athletic events corroborate this theme. In the Murphy Wellness Center, the playlist largely revolves around popular music and songs with a driving beat and rhythm to get people excited to exercise.

In a study by the National Center for Health Research, music has been found to have physical and psychological effects on athletes and can lead to better stamina and rhythm in exercise. These proven benefits in performance point to the conclusion that music must aid athletic success. Any athlete should consider listening to music before their next game, match, or meet, and should find music that speaks to them on another level: a song or artist that can get the athlete to the point where the only thing holding someone back is the very ceiling of human ability. Whether that be rap like John and Emilie enjoys, or any other form of music that drives them to perform at their best will help that athlete go the extra mile and succeed in their endeavors. The genre or specific song is up to the individual, as there is no one size fits all song for getting pumped up and ready to win.