The Impact of Fan Support

Today's blog post was written by Remy Lewis.  Remy is a Psychology Major at Purdue University North Central and is a former Division One Track and Field Athlete at Indiana State University.  He is currently an intern with Play Like a Champion.  He is also a Coach, Scout, and Trainer for Sports Prep NBA.

photo courtesy of gameday.com

Fan identification has been a major factor in sports competition throughout history. True fans wearing team colors all season, less-devoted fans only wearing colors after a win, never wearing colors after a loss, and even fair-weather fans switching teams just to be a part of a winning culture. Indeed being a fan can be a roller coaster of emotions during sporting events. But what about the athletes? How does fan support affect them? The roar of a loyal crowd can boost adrenaline levels for the home team and be overwhelming for the opposing players. They say keeping fans involved and giving them something to cheer for will always have an affect on winning or losing the game. However, sometimes it is not always about the win or the loss. Maybe sometimes it is about knowing that someone supports you whether you win or lose.

photo courtesy of cbsnews.com

Much of this was the case for the Gainesville Tornadoes in Texas. The Tornadoes are a basketball team for the Gainesville juvenile correctional facility which allows those with outstanding behavior to play for the team. They mostly play against the local private schools and have had success as a team. However, their fan base has struggled. Regular citizens do not see a need to support kids who they believe brought this upon themselves, and most of the parents are too ashamed or simply too busy to go and cheer for their kids on a regular basis, and of course, their fellow students can't attend. Many of their games are played with not a single fan in their corner cheering them to victory.

photo courtesy of usports.org

All of this changed going into their game against Vangaurd College Prep which stated they would refuse to play them at one point. Not because the competition was not there, but because they felt it was unfair for a group of kids to have to play against a school with a ton of fan support. So the players came up with an ingenious plan. First they informed the student body and parents that the Tornadoes had no fan base and wanted to give them supporters for the game. Then they had a random drawing to have half of the student body and their families dress in Tornado colors and sit behind their bench to cheer for them. They made signs, had cheerleaders, and as the game went on, the crowd assigned to the Tornadoes no longer felt like they were cheering out of the kindness in their hearts, but because the genuinely became fans and wanted to support their team.

In the end, this became a heartfelt moment that no one who was able to attend will ever forget. More importantly, the juveniles who parents never make it to their games, finally feel that they fit in socially and appreciate the fans and opposing team for still treating them like athletes and people. It is nice to see young athletes using their influence on their peers to act selflessly in the name of fun and sports.