What Miley Cyrus Teaches Us About Performance Routines for Athletes
I never expected Miley Cyrus to give me material for a mental performance lesson… but here we are.
If you listen to “Party in the U.S.A.,” you hear a surprisingly relatable story about pressure, uncertainty, and how the right routine can pull you out of your own head. That’s the same thing performance routines for athletes are designed to do.
Miley lands in a new, unfamiliar world, Los Angeles, and immediately wonders whether she’ll fit in. It’s the same question young athletes ask when they walk into a new team, gym, or tryout.
Her stomach drops. She feels the nerves. Her body responds before she even has time to think.
But then a Jay-Z song comes on in the taxi… …and her anxiety melts.
Why? Because that song is familiar. Predictable. Safe.
It pulls her back to Nashville, back to something she knows, even though she’s nowhere close to home.
That’s the power of a routine.
When the Room Feels Wrong, Familiarity Feels Right
Later in the song, Miley walks into an L.A. party wearing sneakers while everyone else is wearing heels.
She feels out of place again. The nerves return. Her body tightens.
Then a Britney Spears song starts playing… …and suddenly she’s good.
Hands up.
Head clear.
Ready to move.
Nothing about the situation changed, except the stimulus that made her feel safe.
This is exactly what happens in sports, and it’s exactly why performance routines for athletes matter so much.
A young pitcher steps on a new mound. A basketball player walks into a high-pressure showcase. A soccer player tries out for a new club.
The environment screams “unfamiliar.”
The body screams “danger.”
But routines quiet the noise.
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What Are Performance Routines for Athletes, Really?
The dictionary calls a routine “an unvarying and constantly repeated formula.”
Researchers describe it as “a repetitive action that resembles the cycle of a machine.”
But here’s the real-world version:
Performance routines for athletes are familiar sequences that ground an athlete when everything around them feels uncertain.
Routines are NOT magical.
They’re NOT superstitions.
They’re NOT quirks.
They’re anchors.
Familiar actions → feelings of safety Safety → confidence Confidence → freedom to perform
One study puts it simply: when the brain recognizes something as familiar, it becomes non-threatening.
That’s exactly what’s happening with Miley and her music.
And it’s exactly how performance routines for athletes help young competitors RESET under pressure.
Why Performance Routines for Athletes Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Athletes feel the most anxious when they feel the least in control.
Competition brings:
Uncertainty.
Judgment.
Fear of mistakes.
All of these chip away at a sense of safety.
Performance routines for athletes give that safety back.
A deep breath.
A walk behind the mound.
A line from a favorite song.
These predictable behaviors tell the nervous system:
“You’ve been here before. You’re okay. Let’s go.“
Research backs this up. Pre-performance routines, whether pre-game, pre-shot, pre-pitch, or pre-match, reliably improve performance by directing attention back to the task and away from distractions.
Or, to borrow from Miley:
The song stays the same, no matter where the party is.
3 Lessons From Miley Cyrus on Performance Routines for Athletes
Lesson 1: Pressure Isn’t the Problem. Unfamiliarity Is.
Miley’s nerves didn’t come from the party itself. They came from feeling like she didn’t belong there. Young athletes are the same. A new field, a bigger crowd, or an unfamiliar coach can make a routine at-bat feel like a crisis. Performance routines for athletes create stability in unstable situations by bringing something familiar into an unfamiliar place.
Lesson 2: Familiar Actions Shift Attention From Fear to Execution
When the song came on, Miley stopped thinking about her sneakers and started moving. That’s the shift every athlete needs. The best performance routines for athletes give the mind a job to do, so attention moves from “What if I mess up?” to “Here’s what I do next.”
Lesson 3: Routines Should Be Familiar, Not Rigid
Miley didn’t need the same party, the same outfit, or the same city. She only needed one familiar thing. Routines work the same way. They shouldn’t be robotic or so rigid that one missed step causes panic. Effective performance routines for athletes are simple and portable, so they travel to any field, gym, or tryout.
How Parents Can Help Build Performance Routines for Athletes
If you want your athlete to perform with more consistency, start by helping them build routines that ground them. A few simple places to start:
Pick one breath. A single slow, deliberate breath before every pitch, shot, or start is a routine that works anywhere.
Choose a cue word or phrase. A short, meaningful phrase like “next pitch” or “I’ve got this” gives the mind something familiar to hold on to.
Keep it short and repeatable. The goal isn’t a long ritual. It’s a quick sequence your athlete can do the same way at home, on the road, and at the biggest event of their season.
Not robotic.
Not rigid.
Just familiar.
Something that says:
“This is who I am. This is what I do. I can handle this.”
FAQ: Performance Routines for Athletes
What are performance routines for athletes?
Performance routines for athletes are short, familiar sequences of thoughts and actions an athlete uses before or during competition. Examples include a deep breath before a pitch, a cue word before a free throw, or a go-to song before a game. Their purpose is to create a feeling of safety and focus in an unfamiliar or high-pressure moment.
Do performance routines really reduce anxiety?
Yes. Research on routines shows that familiar actions increase feelings of safety and confidence, and studies of pre-performance routines in sport show they help athletes direct attention to the task and away from distractions. When the brain recognizes something as familiar, it treats the moment as less threatening.
Is a routine the same as a superstition?
No. A superstition relies on luck, like wearing the same socks. A routine is a purposeful set of actions that helps an athlete control their attention and body. Good performance routines for athletes are about focus, not magic.
How long should a pre-performance routine be?
Short enough to use anywhere. Many effective routines take only a few seconds, such as one breath and one cue word. The most important thing is that the routine is familiar and repeatable, not that it’s long or complicated.
References
Avni-Babad, D. (2011). Routine and feelings of safety, confidence, and well-being. British Journal of Psychology, 102, 223–244.
Cotterill, S. (2010). Pre-performance routines in sport: current understanding and future directions. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3(2), 132–153.
Party in the U.S.A. lyrics © Sony/ATV, Warner/Chappell, Kobalt Music.
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Michael Huber holds a master’s degree in sport psychology and works as a mental performance coach, helping young athletes build the confidence and mental skills that complement their physical training. Learn more about him.
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