Have you seen a movie recently because an actor you like had a leading role in it? Bought something because it was a collaboration with your favorite singer? Or maybe you turned on a sporting event because your favorite athlete was in the starting lineup?
We are conditioned to be fans of these people because celebrities are in front of us all the time, from social media to news highlights. It is something fun, too. We like to watch them succeed because it is entertaining to see the boundaries of what is possible being pushed.
At the end of the day, however, those people have no idea who you are. While they might thank their fans or celebrate the success of their movie, if you or the person next to you were the one supporting them, they would have no idea.
There is one space where being a fan can actually still mean something, though. Where your absence might be felt in a crowd. That is college sporting events.
College athletics offers something professional sports often cannot: a genuine sense of community. The players are not some distant celebrities whose lives exist solely on a screen. They are the same students who walk next to you on the way to class and take the same classes. You might witness someone score the game-winning point, and in the morning she is next to you at breakfast.
Attendance at an event becomes about supporting people you know, whose lives are connected to your own. It is about recognizing the work that they are putting in to represent the school. The stakes are different and more personal. A win becomes a shared accomplishment; a loss is something the whole campus might feel. The experience does not need to end when the clock hits zero and everyone leaves, because they are not going far. The people involved remain a part of the community long after the game is over.
Athletics here can also make it easier to feel like you belong. Unlike a larger school, you do not have to get swallowed up in a crowd. Here, you can show up without knowing all of the rules or the statistics of the team and still have a good time. For schools the size of Asbury University, that support can make a difference. Athletes represent their schools in competition, which contributes to the atmosphere and identity of the campus. A packed gym or loud student section communicates something beyond excitement. It shows the athletes their work is seen and matters to those around them.
It can be easy to overlook these opportunities for connection, especially when there is classes to attend, assignments to finish and friends to spend time with. A home game might just seem like another thing to get emailed about. But attending a game is one of the simplest ways to participate in campus life. You can celebrate alongside classmates and become a part of traditions that make a university feel like home.
College sports are not just about the people who compete. They are about the people who gather to watch them, too. So next time you see a game happening on campus, consider going. Invite a friend. Learn a few new names. Cheer a bit louder than you typically would.
You might not change the outcome of the game. You will not make the highlight reel afterward. But you will have been part of something bigger than yourself. Of something that is a part of your school. You will have supported the people who share your campus, your experiences and a small part of your everyday life.
Sometimes, being a fan should be more than watching someone succeed. Sometimes, it should be showing up for someone in your community.
