JJ McCarthy, quarterback of the undefeated Michigan Wolverines, has been bringing a lot of attention to his practice of meditating before every game. He spoke about his method after the team defeated UConn 59-0, saying, “I meditate every day, twice a day. Before the game, it’s about getting into the present moment and finding that flow. I wake up and I will meditate for 30 minutes. And as everyone sees at the field goal post, I meditate for another 10 minutes before the game.” He credited the practice for his success, saying, “Everything is slowing down. My mind is not racing anymore. Everything is just slowing down. I feel at ease out there. I really do. And that’s changed from last year to this year. Just through having those kinds of experiences, it’s putting me on that exponential growth track.” The 19-year-old had his biggest win yet when Michigan defeated the previously undefeated number two team, Ohio State, last Saturday. 

McCarthy began the practice during his high school days while he played for Nazareth Academy under head coach Tim Racki. Racki referred to the practice as “tactical breathing” to connect it more to his “macho” players. McCarthy continued the practice in 2020 when he left Illinois during his senior year to play at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for his senior year. “He would go from the left hash to the right hash and play the game in his brain. It looked like a dance,” said IMG head coach Bobby Acosta. Meditation is not a new practice and, in many ways, is “trendy,” but McCarthy is one of the few who make a regular practice of it. “The Venn diagram of people who are really excited about meditation and then the other side, of people who are really excited about college athletics, doesn’t have a lot of crossover,” said Chad McGhehee, the first director of meditation training in major college sports. 

The earliest recordings of the practice date as far back as 1500 BC in India and is linked with Hindu traditions. However, the practice has also been linked with Christianity, with the Bible encouraging Christians to meditate on Scripture. It was also a common practice among Christian hermits, ascetics, and monks. Meditation has been found to have many benefits, such as helping to reduce stress and anxiety, as well as lowering blood pressure. McCarthy credited it for helping him overcome setbacks, saying, “Whatever happened last game, you have to put it in the past. It’s a new week, a new process, a new preparation. If you can accept what happened — whether it’s good or bad — and sometimes with those good games, you want to hold onto them all week. But no, you can’t. You have to throw it in the ocean. Move on to next week. We’ll do that again this week.” The Wolverines will take on the 8-4 Purdue Boilermakers this Saturday.