Season after season, players are disappointed when they see empty seats on the sidelines of their games. We would like to see more fans coming out in support of all of our teams.

As a varsity volleyball player, attending other games is just as important to me as attending my own. I know that seeing others come to my games compels me to play harder, and that it is important to know that your team has not gone unnoticed. Also, it is especially impressive to competing teams to see that our school cares about every sport we have.

Across the school, athletics usually never fails to draw crowds in. With themed football games, Senior Nights, and more, there’s always something to enjoy. Every sport has its own excitement to offer at JC. Football has most of the Friday Fun Nights, where anyone can come to enjoy the game, food, and theme.

The Homecoming football game is an fun way to celebrate school pride. Senior nights for all teams recognize athletes at the end of the journey as a player and a Patriot. Additionally, nearly all girls and boys teams have pink-out games. So why then, with so much to look forward to, does it seem like fewer and fewer students are attending?

Noticing the decrease in student attendance at games is the first step to improving it.  A fix to the lack of student attendance at sports games could be promoting our sports teams in a more personal way.

Making fall athlete prayer services school-wide and making end of season sport surveys include questions about things outside of sports are all options to improve our student section. By sharing the significance of being noticed by our student body, our athletes will know they haven’t gone unnoticed. Explaining to students that knowing your team is noticed and cared for by your peers will persuade more to attend, especially because over half of the Patriot community plays a sport at JC.

All in all, there are multiple ways we can improve our student section at sports games, so let’s be the start of a positive change.