Student, peer, and family attendance of sporting events has been drastically declining over the past five years and does not seem to be changing anytime soon. Audience members have been showing up to fewer games and tournaments and leaving earlier.
Players on teams get thrills out of audience cheers. They perform their best when they have people to support them, whether it be their families or friends.
Football, basketball, and volleyball are considered “mainstream” sports that have a larger attendance than most. Tessa Renze, a freshman swimmer at Morningside College, said that swimming is less attended than many sports, and usually attended only by family.
When asked what having audience members cheer for her felt like she responded, “having them there is the best feeling. They’re supporting me. They know I can do this” and they are what push her.
Haley Mathes, a third-year bowler at Morningside College, agreed with Renze. She said that having personal support “makes me feel like I need to try more.” Not to impress, but to make people proud.
Cassy Huiras, a freshman bowler at Morningside College, had a different outlook saying that support “does make a difference but it isn’t always positive,” especially when spectators don’t understand the rules. Even with this outlook, she still believes that audience attendance pushes her to excel.
Renze also said that audience support helps “release a competitive side” of her swimming spirit. But these sports, bowling and swimming, are one of many competitive sports offered by colleges that don’t receive attendance.
Without consistent audiences, these athletes have had to learn that “the audience doesn’t necessarily make the player,” as said by Renze, but that it does boost their morale.
Huiras said that “getting and having people there pushes me harder to perform my best,” but getting the audience is the difficult part.
Relaying accomplishments only goes so far. Spectators can live the moment with the player, both at the competition and after. It creates a bond and an impact. It allows players, such as Mathes, to “showcase my talents for the people that know me.”
Audiences, though they are leaving earlier and supporting less, change the way players perform.
Without an audience, a player has to find an inner reason to perform to their best ability. With an audience, a player performs for themselves and for those watching.
An audience is an integral part of sports performance for college athletes.
The lede really points out the most important part.
I think it’s good that you talked with different members of the teams.
But i feel that for sources you should look for something a bit more official
You’ve got two really good quotes the one by Haley Mathes and the one where Renze says the audience doesn’t make the player.
I feel the middle section of the article is way to crowded with quotes maybe you should look up some facts to fill in. It just feels really crowded.
I think the part that is missing could be a good place to put in actual numbers, so maybe try to go to the sport offices and ask if anyone keeps track of the attendance.