When most people picture Winchester, beer cheese, historical buildings, or Ale-8 often come to mind. However, Clark County is also known for for bringing people together through their sports.
Everyone is there to see the players, but there would be no point in playing if there were no fans to cheer the players on.
“Hearing the crowd cheer us on pumps us up and gives us more motivation to push harder,” said sophomore Scotty Mitchell. “When the stands are packed and people are loud, it’s like an adrenaline rush that makes you want to play better.”
With positive support from the crowd, athletes can easily show off their strengths.
“Being a coach, I see how the audience impacts the players,” said Coach Austin Curtis. “When the boys are doing well, the crowd gives the same energy back, and it’s obvious the team does better when they feel supported. It’s really cool to see that our boys are loved by the community.”
There are so many ways to become more involved, and joining the student section is the first step. All you need is a little bit of creativity and confidence to stand out from the crowd. “Being a part of the student section is so fun,” junior Ryland Dixon said. “The energy is contagious, and cheering with your friends really pumps up the crowd and gets everyone excited.”
Get Rowdy Crew leader Cady Johnson suggests for students to follow the crew’s social media.
“Our social media includes themes and any information, it’s so easy to be involved,” she says. “We wants the crowd to be fully into it, no matter who tags along. Bring your friends; anyone is welcome! Don’t be scared to join in. It’s the most fun if everyone is a part of it.”
From a cheerleader’s perspective, the fans are a staple during game time.
“The fans are very important to us cheerleaders; they encourage us as we do our larger cheers on the floor,” said junior Tatum Durham. “They also cheer along with us which adds more energy to the game. Even the cheerleaders can use a little cheering on.”
The feeling of playing a game in silence was the unfortunate reality for students during the pandemic – no one to cheer them on, no one to celebrate a three-point shot, and not a single person to simply be there and watch.
Former Cardinal Jared Wellman knows this feeling all too well. “It was definitely a strange feeling, going from sold out games the year before at a packed regional tournament, to only having a few family members each my senior year,” he said. “It honestly felt like practice in a sense because it was just the guys on the court, so we had to switch our mentality to make sure we stayed focused and took it seriously during that time. We made it work and had great support leading all the way to the state tournament.”
Thankfully, the “covid years” are in the past and we have been able to swing back into the crowded games we are familiar with.
Everyone can agree they get a little more pep in their step when someone is there to cheer them on.
It’s no doubt the athletes of Clark County have a strong support system, and every fan deserves some recognition for being a staple in the sports world.
