How Sound Can Make or Break Performance in These Sports

Certain components of a sport are essential to performance. Endurance, agility, power, coordination, reaction time, and flexibility are just a few that can make or break performance. Without a combination of these components, an athlete might struggle to be the best in their field. Yet, another aspect of competition that may not seem as significant in the path to success but plays a huge role is sound.

Sound is crucial to many areas of sports. One of the most important aspects, especially in team sports, is communication, which can enhance teamwork, assist in overcoming obstacles, and improve performance. But it goes further than that. The sounds of a game can impart vital information about what is happening on the court, field, track, and more. It can also have a negative effect. In sports where silence is key, having too much noise can adversely affect a player or team's performance.

To compile this list of sports where sound can make or break performance, 24/7 Tempo consulted sports-related sources. These include Olympics.com, ESPN, and The Online Rocket. (For more sports-related content, read about the most lopsided hockey game in history.)

Every four years, millions of people gather around their televisions to watch the 4×100-meter relay in the Summer Olympics. The race allows athletes to showcase their speed. However, the winners of the event typically have great communication.

One of the keys in the relay is passing the baton between sprinters. There's a designated area where the runners can pass before they're called for a violation. The athletes must communicate to their teammates when to start running so the transition is smooth.

Arguably the most important part of running a race is starting as quickly as you can. It's vital to pay close attention to the starting gun. Starting the moment it's fired compared to a few milliseconds after can be the difference between winning and losing.

The last thing anyone starting the race wants to do is put their team in a position where they're forced to come from behind. Sounds play more of a role in the 4×100 meter relay than most folks realize.

One of the most popular sports around the world is basketball. Whether you're playing in a pickup game with friends or competing at the highest level, sounds are critical to the game. There's no sport where communication is more important. If someone is playing defense and they're about to get screened, it's important for another person to notify them.

There's also the sound the ball makes when someone is dribbling it. There are many times when a defender is face-guarding another player. The defender isn't paying attention to anything other than the person they're guarding. They need to listen to the court around them and figure out what's happening. The best defenders in the world are easily able to utilize the sounds of the game to their advantage.

The Olympics are filled with sports like Skeet Shooting that aren't typically televised. Skeet shooting is when the competitor aims to shoot moving clay targets, called pigeons. They know they're successful based on the sound heard when the bullet rips through the target. There's a loud explosion and those watching see the object dismantled.

The sound the target makes isn't the only time that noise is important. The shooter yells the standard command, "pull," or even "ready" and "hup" when they want the target launched into the air. The person releasing the pigeon must pay close attention and do as the shooter commands.

If they fail to launch at the precise time, the shooter will likely get flustered and mess up. The wind is also vital to pay attention to. The best time to shoot is when the wind is minimal or non-existent since the bullet won't be altered.

Most folks don't realize what it takes to be a NASCAR driver. Once a week, you put your body through scorching hot temperatures and lose significant body weight to sweat. You're stuck inside a car for multiple hours in a row. That's why most NASCAR drivers are in excellent shape. While it might not seem like it from the outside, sound is also critical to the success of any driver.

Like other sports, communication between driver and their crew is paramount. There's a lot of talking through the headset. The spotter tells the driver where the other cars are relative to them. If the driver makes one quick move without considering what the spotter said, they put themselves and others at risk. It's also up to the driver to listen to other cars around them. Sound plays more of a role in NASCAR than most people know.

There's no denying hockey is one of the loudest sports on Earth. The puck is made from a material that makes it sound like a "bang" whenever it hits a stick. There's so much passing in hockey and players need to keep track of the puck whenever it hits a new stick. Goalies also react differently based on how hard a shot is hit. If a slap shot is coming towards a goalie, they know they have less reaction time than a wrist shot.

Communication is vital between players. The puck is constantly moving and players must stay on the same page. If they don't, there's a high probability the puck will end up in the back of the net. Fans are close to the players, so there's also the chance noise from the crowd gets into someone's head. Hockey games have great atmospheres because of the amount of sound at them.

Competitive volleyball is an event that cannot be missed. There's beach volleyball, which features two players on the sand at a time, and court volleyball, which features six players. Both involve a high level of communication between players. In both types of volleyball, players need to keep a close ear to the ball being hit. This allows them to get a better jump on making a play.

Listening is also important for officials. One of the rules of volleyball is the players aren't allowed to touch the net at any point. Doing so results in the loss of a point. Officials have tons to keep their eye on, which means they're trained to hear the sound of someone touching the net. They also listen to the net if it makes a noise after moving. Sounds are key for both players and officials in volleyball.

Anyone who's ever played water polo knows how challenging it is. You're supposed to hold your body up and throw a ball while holding off opponents from tossing you under. The obvious starting point for why sound is important is in case an athlete needs to come up for air.

Even though it's a fierce competition, nobody wants to see someone go down and struggle for air. Those in the water must remain aware and ready to help someone if need be. When it comes to the competition part, water polo requires massive communication. Athletes must remain ready for the ball to be passed to them.

Defenders keep their heads alert to listen for when someone gets behind them. Communication is key for anyone playing water polo. Water polo gains the attention of nearly everyone during the Olympics.

Another sport fans fall in love with during the Olympics is handball. There's plenty of scoring throughout each game. The sport features a line where teams get extra points for scoring from behind it. When all is said and done, the team with the most points when the clock runs out, wins. Sound can make or break the competition for teams.

There's a high amount of communication between players and coaches in handball. Since there's plenty of scoring, one of the most important forms of communication is uplifting the goalie. No matter how many shots go in, keeping your head up and being ready for the next one is paramount.

Another sound that is key in handball is the fans. During the Olympics, folks in attendance get incredibly rowdy. It becomes key for the athletes to stay focussed on the task at hand and avoid fans getting in their heads.

Some humans are more accurate than others with a bow and arrow. The best of the best put their skills on display during the Olympics. While it might not seem like it, anyone who participates in archery knows how important sound, or lack of sound, is for success.

One of the most important parts of archery is knowing when there's minimal or no wind blowing. While it's easy to feel the wind, competitors must keep their ears ready to listen to it. That way, the bow goes as straight as it can. Whenever an archer gets ready, everyone in attendance becomes silent.

The lack of sound helps the archer focus on the target and get off the best shot possible. Archery is similar to golf in that respect since golfers are used to no sound during their swing. Any noise can affect a shot. (For more Olympic content, read about the athlete who came back from a broken neck to win gold.)