Men’s Lacrosse team raises spirits cheering on the Men’s Soccer team.
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
Marlin Nation’s potential ticket to raising school spirit
McKenna is a sophomore studying Sustainability Management. She is the Photography Editor for the Marlin Chronicle and has played sports her whole life.
Sports are a huge part of the Virginia Wesleyan community and experience. We have 22 sports teams and, reportedly, about 40% of the student population plays a sport. Yet, still, when I attend sports games on campus, I am almost astounded by the lack of student support in the stands. The students are there, but nobody is all that vocal.
Of the students that go, all are quite disconnected from each other and there is not notable supportive energy most of the time. I believe that needs to change. Student sections are entirely common at school sports games of all levels and Virginia Wesleyan needs to join in on the spirit!
A little bit of organization would make the student support that goes out to games feel so much fuller and more impactful. The Marlin community needs to chirp at some soccer referees and have chants at volleyball games.
The camaraderie on this campus surrounding sports should not stop at just the student-athletes. Due to this campus being so small, every person plays a large role in the community! Sports energy is infectious, and it is my hope that a student section would help apprehensive students feel more willing to come out to support our teams.
I have felt a couple instances of this support while shooting photos at sports games. The game that sticks out most in my brain was a Men’s Soccer match where most of the Men’s Lacrosse team packed part of the stands in support.
They had bright blue stadium horns and were adamant about making the entire soccer field hear them. The energy they brought was absolutely contagious, and it was one of the more enjoyable soccer games I’ve been to on campus because it felt like the community was there. I felt more comfortable being loud about my support, too! There is such a domino effect with vocality, and the Men’s Lacrosse team can’t be at every sports game, so a student section would make sure that energy is brought to every game.
I truly believe that if VWU had a student section, our sense of community would be even greater and our sports teams would perform better. Feeling supported and backed while you’re on the field or court is such a morale boost, and I think the Marlin community would really benefit from it.
So how would it start? I think VWU, as a whole, has gotten away from relying on word of mouth for getting ideas and plans around, but I believe this method shouldn’t be overlooked. Starting a student section doesn’t need to be a huge, planned out ordeal, especially to start. Just unofficially dedicating a section of the stands in Townebank and out at Birdsong field and Trinder stadium would create the space for people to come together.
We have seen a little bit of this with students sitting at the ends of the volleyball court during games, but it is usually a sports team or a couple of friend groups that just decide to sit there. What if that space was where students could go to be loud and proud about the Marlin spirit?
The white out and pink out games were semi-successful and having regulars in the student section would make those efforts even more bountiful. Face paint in the VWU colors, some stadium horns, themed games, something to spark some fan interest beyond just the thrill of the game would do wonders for the connectivity of our community.
As a student population, we are timid about supporting each other, being loud and being proud. It is taking such a crucial piece out of campus and while a student section wouldn’t solve the whole issue, it may just be a start. We all deserve to be supported, and we owe it to each other to give support!
By McKenna Howenstine
