Lindsey Frumer

Title: Lindsey Frumer

General Information about Item:

  • Pre-Performance Ritual – American
  • Lindsey Frumer
  • Student, Varsity Lacrosse Team
  • English
  • Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
  • May 23, 2019

 

Text:

This pre-performance folklore is a clapping circle. The team forms in a circle, and the role of leading the rate of clapping is passed down throughout the generations of lacrosse players. The leader leads the increase of the rate of clapping and the team follows along. Ultimately, the rate increases to a very quick rate, and then everyone joins in the middle to cheer, again led by the same leader. Then, they cheer and come into the circle, say “Go Green,” and head out onto the field.

 

Context:

The Dartmouth Lacrosse Team is a varsity sports team. Lindsey is a senior on the team and has been participating in this pre-performance folklore since her freshman year (2015-2019), and she was bequested the leadership role of both traditions her sophomore year (2017). Lindsey notes that she does not know the origin of this tradition, just that it has been the pre-performance routine of the lacrosse team for all of the previous players she knows. She does not know when or from whom this routine originated. She mentions that this routine is performed before every game of any magnitude and before sprint tests.

 

Meaning and Interpretation (Informant): Lindsey sees herself as the sacrificial lamb, who gives her energy to her teammates in order to hype people out. She notes that she breaks out into a full sweat while leading the clapping circle and dance party. She believes that the folklore is intended to calm the nerves and build the confidence of the team as a whole before a performance. She notes that they play better when they are having fun and enjoying themselves, so having this fun pre-match folklore sets the tone and encourages them to carry over the fun during the game.

 

Meaning and Interpretation (Collector): This ritual represents a transition state in van Gessep’s Rite of Passage. They are leaving the mindset of non-athlete or student and entering the mindset of an athlete. In this athletic state, Lindsey describes how they aim to have fun, for their optimal performance takes place when they are having fun. Thus, this ritual helps them transition and ultimately incorporate into this fun yet intense state they embody for game time. The fact that this ritual takes place directly before the warm up is important because this is the exact timing when the players should separate from other areas of focus, transition and incorporate into a game mindset.

As for the ritual itself, I believe the fact that the energy rises in both rituals reflects Frazer’s Law of Similarity. The players are having fun and increasing intensity during the ritual, and they are hoping that this will result in them having fun and playing with high intensity during the game, even though clapping is not a direct part of the game of lacrosse.

Collector’s Name: Maddy Schoenberger

Tags/Keywords:

  • Sports
  • Athletics
  • Lacrosse
  • Pre-performance Ritual

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *