WASHINGTON (WUSA9) — Some call it superstition. Others, just a hairy situation. Look around the sports world, it’s hard to miss. We are in the midst of a “Beard Boom”.
“I shaved it, and I didn’t recognized myself in the mirror. So I had to grow it back,” says Washington Capitals goalie, Braden Holtby.
“Just makes me look a little older. I’ve always had it,” explains Marcus Johansson who plays center for the Washington Capitals.
What started as a scruffy tradition of hockey teams, come playoff time, has now grown into a trademark look in locker rooms across the sports world. Some can simply not be contained.
“To be honest, I don’t know how it got to this stage, other than, I didn’t shave and I didn’t shave again. And I looked up, and this is what I got,” says Washington National’s first baseman, Adam LaRoche.
No matter the shape, or the size, each beard takes on its own identity. Even its own Twitter page. In the case of Nationals’ left fielder Jayson Werth.
But why grow it in the first place? Dr. Jennifer Lager, a clinical psychologist in McLean, Virginia offers on explanation. “There’s a lot of chance in sports. So I think it’s an effort to try and control things that might feel a little bit out of control, which helps with confidence.”
Article originally written by Nick Giovanni
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