Student opinion: The importance of crowd involvement
Senior Gavin Kube leads the student section in a “roller coaster” cheer. During the fall, the student section fueled the energy for the athletes who performed. Many students are hoping to get that energy back.
When it comes to sports, many can agree that a supportive and lively audience adds excitement and energy to the games. For the students at Yutan High, the student section and fans are what make up the crowd. Recently, however, many students have noticed the decline in fans and most importantly, energy. This is why many people, including myself, believe that there needs to be more crowd involvement.
This lack of involvement has frustrated many, like some of the cheerleaders. As cheerleaders, their job is to get the crowd pumped up and engage them in their cheers. Some of them have found this hard to do lately.
“As a cheerleader, it kind of sucks because it’s like you’re cheering at empty bleachers,” a cheerleader said. “I feel like the people that are at the games sometimes don’t really get into the cheers.”
Fewer fans also seems to affect the crowd.
“There was hardly anyone at the conference games. So it wasn’t really as loud as it could have been,” the cheerleader said.
I also agree that our crowd isn’t loud and engaged enough. This especially shows when our opposing team’s student section is much more rowdy and into the game than ours.
However, some argue that our less involved student section might not be entirely our fault. Lately, our school has been stricter when it comes to the student section’s behavior. It’s probably for a good reason, but it tends to bring the energy down.
Another reason our crowd isn’t as engaged in the game is that their attention is on their phones. One student-athlete suggested that having “your attention towards the game and not towards your phone” will help fans have a better focus on the game.
Overall, there needs to be more crowd involvement such as concentrating on the game and taking part in cheering on the team. Showing more support for your team helps the athletes perform better and have more drive.
A student-athlete said, “On the court when you hear the fans, it makes the game pace faster and more fun…it’s because of the crowd’s momentum and energy that helps you play well.”
So the next time you’re at a game, stand up and cheer. By being more involved in the game, you will help the players perform better and create a more enjoyable, exciting atmosphere.
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Alexis Pehrson is a senior in her fourth year of journalism. She enjoys writing stories and taking pictures. Outside journalism, Alexis is involved...
Derek is a junior and in his second year of journalism. He enjoys taking photos and writing sports stories. Outside journalism, Derek is involved in...
