Alright Bob Jones, with Homecoming having successfully come and gone, I think it’s time we had a talk. Mr. Parker once proudly said Bob Jones is the best “daggum” school in the state. More recently, Mrs. Lambert’s feelings have been similar. She’s made statements along those same lines to say that with such a diverse student body and a large variety of opportunities, we truly are lucky to attend such a great school. In terms of academics, we’ve been solid. Actually, I would take it a step further and say we’ve been pretty “daggum” good. In addition to our academic achievements, our athletic teams have been pretty successful. However, I’ve noticed a trend lately that I’m hoping will cease. The community and the students once took pride in supporting our sports teams, but lately it’s mainly just been the community.  

The 2016 spring soccer teams were not exempt from the plague that loomed over the rest of the school’s teams. The turnout for their games was inadequate. Last year, I, along with a group of friends, went to one game. During that one game we had a good time that resulted in our group going to most home games. We became the only fans that would show up– a group of 6-11 people trying to compensate for a whole student body. Game after game we, along with the team’s parents, would attend the games and root for our team while almost always being outnumbered by the opposing team’s fans who had to travel farther and pay to get in (students get in free to home games for the girls). Paris Liederbach, a senior, felt as though there was no support from the students. Additionally, she said, “Regardless of if the game is home or away, we never have a student section that’s bigger than the other team’s.”

Friday night I was shocked to discover a full Madison City Stadium with little to no students there. Obviously there was a major incident that prevented most of the students from supporting the football team, right?  There was no way in the world we had all the school spirit in the world last week based on the amount of kids dressed up in the hallways and taking selfies, but when it came time to actually support the team DURING the game, there was a lackluster showing. Unfortunately, it was the final piece of evidence I needed to come to the conclusion that we have a serious issue in our school– we need to step up our support for athletic teams. We need to show up and cheer them on, regardless of the sport.

Coach Rose, the head football coach, loves the support, but he feels it’s inconsistent. Although he states it’s to be expected, traveling distance, weather, and other factors make the turnout vary from game to game. He also feels the players play much harder and with more energy [when supported by the student section].

This issue is not only limited to the football team. Last season, the support the basketball team received peaked early and never quite met the bar that was set previously. The only exceptions to this were the games against that rival on County Line Road. Meanwhile, our girls’ basketball team was performing much better, yet they got little to no support until it came time for regionals when half the school decided to show up. Coach Reynolds mentioned his team always wondered where the sudden fan base came from during playoff time, stating the team often asked, “Where were you the whole regular season?” Coach Reynolds also feels the support his team receives is “kinda sad.” However, he said that he and his team have grown accustomed to an inconsistent student body. He feels it is unfortunate with women’s sports that regardless of how well a team performs, a team could still receive little to no support. Rather than putting on a show for the fans, he said,  “We have to play for us, and if they show up, then they show up.” He also mentioned the effort the school made to improve student turnout at games last year. The team sold season passes that came with a t-shirt and free entry to all home games, but few took advantage of the opportunity.

Our volleyball team consistently does well but reaps little to no support. Coach Marsh shared her feelings on the support or lack there of for her team. She said, “There really is no support and the team knows no one is coming to their games.” She felt support plays a role in the team’s success, even if a slight one; the team can feed off the energy and it would make them more consistent. She also made it very clear that the lack of support “is not an excuse to play badly.” She added, “No one comes to area unless it’s during school.” Both the team’s manager and libero felt similarly. Manager Olivia Driggs, a junior, stated, “We don’t get any support despite administration’s efforts to promote our games.” Karman Hall (a junior and the team’s libero) and Olivia both agreed, “It’s embarrassing for away teams to show us up.”

In terms of cheering on our classmates, bottom line is when it comes down to it, we are inconsistent at best and flat out faking school spirit on social media at our worst.  We’re better than this; we’re the best “daggum” school in the state.