Fan section proves valuable for team morale
Some of the bigger schools in the state of Minnesota usually have many fans out supporting their sports teams. There are even small schools who get a large attendance at their games. But other small schools like Great River Falls and Mounds Park Academy are starting to get used to empty stands. But what students don’t know is that a student section can make all of the difference. The head coach for the boys basketball team Lance Johnson had an exciting story to back that up.
“Section final vs Breck 2013,” Johnson recalls. “We were favored, but it was close until John Pryor had a monster dunk. The Minnehaha crowd went crazy, and the students were warned because they went on the court. From that point on Breck could not recover. We won by 20, and then went on to win the state championship.”
Johnson is a firm believer in the power of the student section.
“Crowds make a major difference unless you have a team that doesn’t get too hyped when they are for you, or too upset when they are against you., he said.
Ja’Vonni Bickham, boys varsity basketball captain, agreed that a great student section can add a lot to a game.
“I think the crowd has a big big impact on the game,” he said. “I’ve been to plenty of Cretin Derham Hall basketball games, and their crowd fills up the stands, and they have many seats to fill. All of the momentum in the gym can take a toll on the opposing players, or it can improve the home team’s game.”
There are many schools for basketball who are in both class 2A and 1A where the whole small town closes for game night. An example of that is Caledonia, a small town in southern Minnesota with a good basketball team that everyone wants to come out and cheer for. The boys basketball team has scheduled many games with these types of environment so they can get used to what playing in a state title game will feel like.
Fans can have a big impact on one of their school’s sports teams, whether it’s soccer, baseball, football, basketball or any sport. Students can make all the difference. But athletes agree that students shouldn’t go just to be there, they should say something, get hyped for their team, and even start up a chant.