Struggling for Support

March 31, 2010  
Filed under News

The whistle blows at the tip off of a boy’s basketball game. People walking in late have a slim chance of finding a decent spot in the student section, yet an hour ago the gym was nearly empty. The lack of student interest in girl’s sports at Ottawa High School has slowly started to steadily dwindle over the last few years. Yes, there are a hand few of students that will go for part of the game, but this is mainly to get a good spot for the boy’s game. Not only does this lack of support happen in basketball, it is also spread throughout all girl’s sports. Whether it is volleyball, softball, soccer or any other sport, the support level that girl athletes have from their peers is slim to none.

“Cheering is very exhausting and I don’t think I could do that for two games straight. Boys games are more exciting. They are faster pace, with more action going on. But I definitely don’t mind girls games, and I do support them,” said senior Cody Croucher, who mostly attends football and boy’s basketball games.

Many students at OHS agree with Croucher, who could be found on the front row of almost every boy’s basketball game. And although this might seem like a largely controversial topic to many, others see it as not so much of an issue. In fact, many students see this as a topic of the past, one which should just be let go instead of kept lingering around. Junior Mikela Scott does not think that peer support matters to players.

“Our playing isn’t affected if they don’t come to watch us or do. I’m fine with the support that we have, even if it is just parents,” said Scott, a member of the varsity basketball and softball teams.

Although there are many more students who attend boy’s sports rather than girls, it appears as if they are both supported in one way or another. It would be nice to get more student support to all student athletics, but attendance does not seem to affect how the players play. In the end, students at OHS should learn to appreciate all athletic teams equally and support them. They deserve appreciation after all of the hard work that they put into each season.

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Angela Geist

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