This article was written by Carrie Kuecks, class of 2019.
At most football games, there are massive crowds to cheer the team on. There is often a line that extends almost into the 4500 building of people waiting to purchase tickets. The excitement is intense. However, for numerous other sports, the bleachers sit almost empty during games.
It is important to appreciate sports other than football and to support the athletes that spend hours at practices and at meets. Many other Heritage teams have tremendous accomplishments that they do not get the recognition they deserve.
The swim team has won state-level competitions three times. Despite this success, the swim team’s numerous meets are sparsely attended. To be fair, there is a limited number of seats surrounding the pool deck, but the larger issue is the show of support is weak, especially in comparison to football. More support and school spirit would have a positive effect on the athletes’ performance.
“More people showing up at the swim meets, having school spirit and support, would definitely boost the swim team’s motivation and morale. It is always exciting to swim for a crowd especially [when] people from your own school [are] cheering you on,” swim team member sophomore Molly Weidner said.
With the size of our student body, there should be enough support and excitement to cheer on every sport. While the amount of school spirit exhibited for football is great, cross country meets are also attended by few, and a show of support would be meaningful. “It would help [the team] run faster, and give runners more confidence,” cross country and track team member sophomore Sammie Goldberg said.
Many players observed that at other schools, there are higher turnouts for non-football sporting events. “Whether we go to an away meet or a home meet, it always seems that the other team has more supporters. While [the swim team] travels away to swim meets, I often notice that the stands are packed with cheering fans,” Weidner said.
Admission is free with a student ID at most sporting events on campus. To be aware of athletic events, check out the Athletic Calendar on the portal. Each sport lists the team sport, time and location of the event. Most games/meets take place after school, during the week or on the weekend. Members of the team would appreciate enthusiastic fan support. Imagine if a full cast theatre production looked out into an almost empty theater in the Fine Arts Building. It would be devastating to them. Heritage athletes devote hours to their craft. They deserve to be applauded and supported in large numbers. We can do better.
