The Article below was published in Vol. 136, Issue 6 of the Lake Forest College Stentor on March 12, 2021.
Paityn Tabor ’23
Staff Writer
With sports teams able to compete again, athletics at the College are finally starting to look a bit more normal…almost. Even though sports teams can practice and play games, one stark contrast from previous years is the lack of in-person attendance at home games here at the College.
Having fans physically present at games is certainly an intangible aspect of sports that many took for granted prior to COVID-19. This season, fans are having to support their teams virtually via livestreaming and their absence has certainly had an effect. However, the impact is varied among the different teams.
Our women’s basketball team has surely been missing their fans in the gym with them, but the absence of fans has had little influence on their team’s performance or the energy their team is able to generate.
“Our team is just happy to be competing,” explained head women’s basketball coach Tamlyn Tills. “The gym is loud as it is, and our team cheering along with the opposing team provides plenty of noise.”
Similarly, for the men’s basketball team, the absence of fans has had little impact on their performance. However, they have found themselves craving the energy that fans provide.
“Fans that are vocal in a positive way provide [our team]energy,” explained head men’s basketball coach, Ken Davis. He pointed out that it is “very different to play in a quiet gym. The team has had to feed off each other.”
Our basketball teams are not the only groups missing the support of in-person fans.
“I would say more than anything the mental aspect of not having friends and family at games has been hard for our players, especially for our seniors and their families,” said head men’s hockey coach Patrick Kelliher.
The coaches are not the only ones noticing the disconnect.
“[Our fans] keep the energy going,” described junior softball player Megan Joyce ’22. “The energy has definitely been low. The team is trying to be louder and more enthusiastic to make up for the missing fans.”
Clearly, the support team members show for each other is more critical this year. With no one present to cheer athletes on from the stands, uniting as a team and cheering one another has proved crucial to a team’s success this season.
Our Forester community will one day return to support our beloved teams in-person. Hopefully, this day arrives soon, but our teams must continue to adapt and persevere through this unprecedented situation for now.
