Picture this: It’s a sunny Friday evening, spring has warmed the air and the sun is about to set. There’s a golden glow cast over the baseball field where two teams are warming up for a game. The players have likely been playing for most of their lives, and college ball could be the pinnacle of their sporting careers. Playing a sport you love on the home field of a school you love, surrounded by a team that drives you to continual improvement is sure to be a highlight for a lot of these guys.
But then, they look over to the stands and aside from their family and a handful of friends, they’re empty. A free campus event and beautiful weather, just a five minute walk from the rest of campus and yet it seems like no one is there. This isn’t a unique experience, and it’s not an issue only baseball faces. The attendance for softball, basketball, volleyball and soccer games is lower than it should be. Swim and track meets face the same fate.
Attending games and being a part of the student section is a classic moment for college students, so why is it that our stands sit empty? Moreso, why should students be filling them up?
First off, Asbury University prides itself on having a close-knit and intentional community. However, I’d be willing to bet if students attended a home game, they’d see people they’ve sat next to in class, chapel or in the cafeteria and had no idea they were an athlete. Our community shouldn’t stop when classes end for the day, and sporting events are a great place to grow closer. Unlike a theater or music department performance, at a game, students are encouraged to be loud and cheer for the home team. Rooting for a common cause – in this case, a win – makes the students who do attend feel automatically more connected. It’s a win-win for the players who are suddenly more motivated than ever, and the students who just might make a new friend.
Low turnout can become a cycle that is hard to escape from, and right now, students are the ones keeping it going. If they don’t show up to games because they assume no one will be there, that assumption is exactly what will guarantee empty stands. A quiet crowd feels less exciting, which makes fewer people want to return, and the cycle continues. The only way to escape it is for students to decide to show up anyway. Momentum has to start somewhere, and it doesn’t take the entire campus. Grab your friends, be loud and make it fun. Breaking the cycle isn’t about waiting for games to become popular; it’s about making them popular by choosing to participate.
If you don’t know when the events are, just take a look. Every Monday morning, a schedule of home events is emailed to every student. It’s also available on the home page of the university’s athletic site, asburyeagles.com. The athletic’s Instagram, @asburyeagles, also posts consistent reminders of when games are. Any of these methods are easy to access and great to be plugged into.
Next time a warm evening settles over campus and a game is just minutes away, take a break. Walk over, bring your friends and stay a while. Don’t let the stands stay empty just because it’s easier to stay in. At the end of the day, this isn’t just about sports. It’s about supporting the kind of campus we want to be a part of. There’s the one that watches from a distance, or the one that shows up, invests and creates something worth remembering.
The next game is already on the schedule. The only question is – will you be there?
