Soccer Stadium Pre-game Playlist

I made this playlist a couple of years ago to play during a warm-up for one of the girls' soccer games I coach at my school.

Our school is adjacent to the district stadium, and we get to play a handful of games there. They used to let home teams play their own music during warm-ups until one of my girls' teams played a contemporary tune with the a-word buried under the beat somewhere. My fault for trusting the girls when they said it was all appropriate for school. Someone complained, I got a talking-to, and the district obtained an innocuous sports-themed CD to play before games. You know, Gary Glitter sings "Celebrate Good Champions Because We are the World," or something like that.

Anyway, I thought we could do better, or at least classier, so I made a CD with these tracks that could not possibly be offensive to anyone because they're classical, right? Unfortunately the CD started cutting out after about three songs. I've made two subsequent CDs, and I don't know why, but this playlist will not play on CD in any order. I haven't been able to play it before a game since. Which is okay, because mostly all the players did was complain: "Can't we hear some Lil Wayne or Jonas Brothers?"

Anyway anyway, in celebration of our boys' soccer team making it to the state playoffs for the fourth time in five years (we play this afternoon; hope it doesn't snow), I present my most awesome and inspiring playlist for your anxious ears. Don't try to watch the videos. Just push play and turn up the volume while you surf the net or plug in your headphones if you're in your cubicle at work, and tell me in 45 minutes whether you're inspired to be better at what you do.

Start off with a classic. The first ten seconds itself should get your motor running.


Next up: A variation on "Mars: The Bringer of War." But whether or not he ripped off Holst, Hans Zimmer adds more bombast, and you can't go wrong with Lisa Gerrard in the coda.


This one is from a group called The Immediate who make music especially to be used in movie trailers. Their songs follow a distinct formula, but you can't deny their impact.


"O Fortuna" from Orff's Carmina Burana is widely heard, but many people don't know exactly what it is. I imagine my soccer players running in slow motion a lot.


When this plays, I want to yell, "Fly you fools!" at about 4:18 minutes in. Then it just gets sad because Gandalf is dead.


Here you can imagine mythological creatures or Vietnam era choppers dropping napalm. Either way, it can be a revelation.


Add another track from The Immediate. Keeps you going after a long day.


This one includes the long, quiet prelude, but at about 1:10, you get the thunderous classic John Williams' "Superman Theme" and it doesn't get more rousing than this.


We are near game time, and one more track from Gladiator can bring down your heart rate a bit, but more Lisa Gerrard is a gorgeous way to end your warm up. 



The seventies chorus cheeses this up a bit, but hear this song through stadium speakers and you're ready to smash Apollo Creed into the ground.



I hope all this doesn't mean my blog will crash your web browser. 

Now go win that game!

Update: We lost the game 1-0. Rained the whole time. But I think the real cause of the loss was that they didn't get to listen to this playlist to warm-up.

Comments

  1. I love Mars Bringer of War. The whole beginning of Star Trek VI is done to that tune.

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  2. Good playlist. Me, I'd have picked more high energy stuff and if somebody was offended I'd tell them to grow into their big girl panties and get over it.

    I no longer suffer fools lightly.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a great playlist. I love Carmina Burana and Gladiator and the LOTR soundtracks!

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  4. @ Michael: I will have to rewatch ST VI. I love the whole Holst "Planets" symphony. Mars is pretty cool. And it's pretty clear that Zimmer ripped it off. Still, the Gladiator piece is pretty intense.

    @ darev: What's more high energy than the Rocky Theme? I'd like to know.

    @ MJ: Thanks. I could listen to this all day.

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  5. Thanks, Shelly.

    Blog Update: We lost the game 1-0. Rained the whole time. But I think the real cause of the loss was that they didn't get to listen to this playlist to warm-up.

    ReplyDelete

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