Wheaton fans improve game environment
Hayden Bird '09
Issue date: 11/28/07 Section: Sports
The kind of fans who are generally found on the sidelines at Wheaton athletic competitions are as diverse as they are numerous. Basking in the vast success enjoyed by almost all of Wheaton's teams, the average fan has been confronted with a unique problem: which playoff-bound team should they watch?
As the fall season has drawn to its eventful conclusion, it is necessary to reflect on one critical area of the Wheaton Athletic program which receives the least amount of press. This of course means the fans of the men's and women's teams. As the athletic department has gained steam in the last decade, it has been built on a solid, steady foundation of adoring students and alumni who have supported their school no matter the score.
"It's more about the event itself and entertainment that we create by just being there," says junior Dave Wadsworth on why he (among others) is so vigorous in the cheering. Indeed, the entertainment at a home soccer game on a weekend afternoon is, at times, as much off the field as it is on it.
The yelling and cheering is mostly for the Lyons, as many of the athletes have friends and family in the stands who know them well. However, a certain amount of the student section also devotes themselves to reminding the opposition of their faults.
"We definitely hear what [the fans] say," noted men's soccer player Dean Hollands. "I don't envy opposing teams."
Of course the heckling is very well policed by the athletic administration. Athletic Director Chad Yowell can often be seen sitting in a lawn chair in front of the fence dividing the field from the stands. In what can only be described as a pure coincidence, the location of the lawn chair is usually in front of a certain group of students who may or may not possess a copy of the other team's roster.
"Usually [the athletic administration] only get[s] mad when we swear or say something about the opposing goalie's assumed association with BALCO" commented senior Mike Rabe. Clearly, creativity amongst fans is alive and well on Wheaton's sidelines.
There is no doubt that the intensity of a game is escalated when passionate fans are involved. With this in mind, Wheaton certainly backs their top flight athletic program with first rate fans. Therefore the home field advantage that several teams clinched this fall took on a greater meaning, as the true advantage is found in the vast support and emotional boost that the masses of ardent supporters provide.
As the fall season has drawn to its eventful conclusion, it is necessary to reflect on one critical area of the Wheaton Athletic program which receives the least amount of press. This of course means the fans of the men's and women's teams. As the athletic department has gained steam in the last decade, it has been built on a solid, steady foundation of adoring students and alumni who have supported their school no matter the score.
"It's more about the event itself and entertainment that we create by just being there," says junior Dave Wadsworth on why he (among others) is so vigorous in the cheering. Indeed, the entertainment at a home soccer game on a weekend afternoon is, at times, as much off the field as it is on it.
The yelling and cheering is mostly for the Lyons, as many of the athletes have friends and family in the stands who know them well. However, a certain amount of the student section also devotes themselves to reminding the opposition of their faults.
"We definitely hear what [the fans] say," noted men's soccer player Dean Hollands. "I don't envy opposing teams."
Of course the heckling is very well policed by the athletic administration. Athletic Director Chad Yowell can often be seen sitting in a lawn chair in front of the fence dividing the field from the stands. In what can only be described as a pure coincidence, the location of the lawn chair is usually in front of a certain group of students who may or may not possess a copy of the other team's roster.
"Usually [the athletic administration] only get[s] mad when we swear or say something about the opposing goalie's assumed association with BALCO" commented senior Mike Rabe. Clearly, creativity amongst fans is alive and well on Wheaton's sidelines.
There is no doubt that the intensity of a game is escalated when passionate fans are involved. With this in mind, Wheaton certainly backs their top flight athletic program with first rate fans. Therefore the home field advantage that several teams clinched this fall took on a greater meaning, as the true advantage is found in the vast support and emotional boost that the masses of ardent supporters provide.
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