I remember being in high school and seeing the importance of athletics for students and the community. There was no shortage of students wanting to participate in sports or be in the stands to support their peers.
While not all sports were equal in crowd participation, which I greatly noticed as a tennis player when comparing my slim audience to that of the football players. Though there was still an overall excitement and involvement in my high school’s sports program.
That being said, I expected to come to college and have that energy doubled, having bought into the idea that everyone had extreme pride in their university and sports teams. However, this was not the case when I came to SXU, which to be fair, COVID could have contributed to.
Upon further inspection, it is apparent that other students share my sentiment, with a member of the Xavierite Editorial Board commenting, “I do not believe there is enough interest or participation from students in athletics. While there is a large amount of student-athletes, the few games I have attended did not have large crowd turnouts.”
Another member commented, “I would agree there isn’t enough student participation or interest in athletics. I think most of the time, it is other athletes going to athletic events to support teams.”
Having been a student-athlete myself, I know the work that they put into putting on their best performance on game day and securing the win for their school. They deserve to have more of an audience to perform for daily and their talents should not be overlooked.
It doesn’t take much effort to show your school spirit and be a supportive spectator for the athletes at SXU.
When asked about the student participation in athletics at SXU, junior lacrosse player, David Leonard, countered our observations and gave a statement.
“The Shannon Center gets busier and busier each month, which is awesome to see. In terms of the lacrosse team, we’re starting to see more guys who haven’t tried the sport coming out to try it and they end up joining the team because it’s just that fun.”
In regards to if student-athletes are adequately supported, Leonard said that he has “mixed” feelings about how the SXU athletics program supports their athletes. Though his feelings are moving toward a more positive direction with the hiring of the new athletic director, Matt Cunningham.
He went on to say, “This man is light and day over his predecessor. He’s actually shown up to our practices and has said he’s impressed with what he sees and is excited to see us exist. We already know we’re going to be playing 14 games this upcoming Spring and we’ve been given permission to practice on indoor turf in February for the first time in program history.”
It is definitely refreshing to hear a student-athlete give a positive account of the athletic program, but it doesn’t change the fact that SXU’s athletes are not getting the type of audience that they deserve.
Going to sporting events will not only allow you to show your school spirit, but it also can give you the chance to make lasting memories while in college and it is very easy to have a good time while cheering your peers on.
While you do not have to come to every game, you should make it a priority to go to at least one game every season so that your peers’ talents can be adequately showcased and appreciated.
The athletic director has not given a statement regarding the aforementioned topics.