Fans chant your name as the clock ticks. Their voices rise, pushing you to sink the game-winning shot at the buzzer. 

There’s nothing like the feeling of fans screaming your name, pushing you to make that tackle, pitch the ball or finish a race strong. Fans are a very important component and the true lifeline of any sport. 

In high school, the life of a student-athlete has its challenges. There are 811 athletes at Kingwood Park who have to juggle all their other responsibilities. From having to maintain their grades to taking care of their  home lives and social lives, student-athletes also have to continue to maintain their spot on the team. These students need all the support they can get because student life is stressful enough. Adding intensely demanding extracurricular activities makes it that much harder. 

According to a study by Athletic Insight, student-athletes reported higher than usual stress in several variables, including having lots of responsibilities and simply not getting enough time for rest. That’s why it’s so important to have such supportive, loving fans every step of the way. 

An athlete’s motivation plays a fundamental role in performance and perceived ability. Motivation comes from internal and external sources, both the contribution of nature and nurture. That perseverance and persistence drives an athlete to continue to work their hardest to reach their goals.

As an athlete myself, I genuinely believe these things help us perform better in games. We couldn’t have as many fans in previous years due to COVID, which at the time I didn’t think too much about. But the quietness on both sides had the games feeling longer and the adrenaline feeling lower. It felt like a practice game almost, which didn’t seem right. It was then that I realized how significant our fans were, how impactful cheering could be, and how much it pushes me. 

Without the simple clap after a good play or the cheers celebrating the opening points, players might struggle to find the incentive to keep pushing for their goal. With the love from the crowd, athletes have the encouragement they need to put their best performances together.