Baseball players dancing in the outfield; football players engaged in group huddles or swaying together in the endzone; an infielder applying eyeblack to a catcher's cheek. Not exactly what one expects to see at a college-level athletic competition. Yet, all of these are very important rituals for athletes to prepare their minds and bodies for the intense, competitive effort they are about to exert.
Camaradarie and team spirit are congealed during the pregame rituals, drills and warm-ups executed by our sports teams at Hinds Community College. Pre-competition practice days and strategies are over and it's game day. Now it's time for the warm-up exercises, the ceremonies and perhaps even a superstitious or mind-focusing moment for a few players.
As the Hinds CC Sports Marketing photographer, I sometimes get to witness and capture, up-close, pre-game moments that the public may see from afar or not at all. So I share here a few photos of preparation, warm-up drills and quiet moments that our athletes use to get their minds and bodies into a competitive team spirit and form, prior to the kick-off, first pitch or tip-off.
The Eagles baseball team doing a pre-game dance ritual at the NJCAA World Series in Enid, Okla.
The football team swaying together before a game in Goodman, Miss.
Chase Lunceford putting eyeblack on Caleb Upton before an NJCAA World series game in Enid, Okla.
Lady Eagles pregame cheer before tip-off in Utica, Miss.
Cheerleaders practicing pregame pyramids and flips in Wesson and Ellisville, Miss.
Lady Eagles warming up for the softball opener in Raymond, Miss.
Keshawn Cooley's quiet moment before the Miss. Gulf Coast CC game
A coach's pregame discussion at the NJCAA World Series in Enid, Okla.
The National Anthem salute - Softball
The National Anthem salute - Baseball 
The National Anthem salute - Football
Pregame coin toss to determine ball possesion and endzone protection- players facing the designated end zones
Pregame football, defensive backs huddle
Baseball pregame base stealing drill
Basketball pregame free-throw shoot-a-round
Pregame quiet moment shared at the NJCAA World Series - Luke Reynolds (11) and Caleb Upton (34)
