If you say yes as an Albright student, chances are you'll mention that you were part of the rowdy student section at a men's basketball game in the winter or that you participated in a tailgate at a football game in the fall.
Why would I go in the direction of those two choices? It's because in terms of athletics at Albright College, it is easy to recognize that football and men's basketball are the most supported teams on campus. Both sports are popular among students, administration and the surrounding Reading community. Our homecoming weekend in the fall at Albright centers around the afternoon football game, while our student-basketball crowd has its own nickname (The "A Zone") as well as a reputation for its deafening noise and raucous student chants.
It isn't a coincidence that many students choose to attend these two sporting events, as football and basketball may be the most popular sports in the country at this time. However, in the close-knit community Albright offers, it appears the rest of our campus athletes are experiencing little to no student support for their own home games. "I think the lack of support for soccer has to do with the fact that it takes a backseat at Albright," said Mark Yost, a defender on the soccer team. "We're known more as a football and basketball school."
The numbers in the past year back up Yost's claim. In the 2010 season, football had an average of 2,354 fans at each home game, while men's basketball averaged about 650 fans in their eight home games during 2010-2011. On the contrary, men's soccer was only able to attract 99 fans per home game in 2010. The baseball team, which plays a sport that is one of the most popular in America, has mustered up a whopping 67 fans on average for their four home games this season at the newly renovated Kelchner Field.
The disparity is most evident in the amount of fans that come out for women's basketball games. These games are often played right before men's games as part of doubleheaders. However, average attendance at these games in 2010-2011 was about 87 fans, or about 550 less than the average for the men's team.
"The student body piles in the gym for men's games, and that doesn't give us a good feeling or confidence level when we compete in our games," said women's basketball player Jess McGinness.
Besides the countrywide popularity of football and basketball, another reason students and the community prefer the two at Albright may be due to their recent history of success. Two seasons ago, both teams reached the NCAA Tournament, and both programs have continually had winning seasons. The remaining sports at Albright, on the other hand, have been up-and-down in terms of their records over the years. 
However, how much of football and basketball's success can be attributed to the large amount of support they receive both on campus and during games? Large fan support gives these teams a greater home field advantage, as fellow students can give these athletes extra motivation to perform.
"More student support absolutely gives teams an added boost," said Sports Information Director Dave Walberg. "If current players see that the student body is heavily involved, it will more often than not make them want to compete at a higher level."
Walberg also mentioned that more fan support appeals to potential recruits watching a game. These recruits see the support they will get, and it gives them something to be excited about in considering Albright. Football and men's basketball, unlike other sports, have the ability to sway talented recruits by displaying their packed gymnasium or stadium at home games.
Albright's other athletes need that same help from the fans to attract recruits and take advantage of playing at home. The extra boost fans provide could make the difference between a win or loss in a close game.
"It's cool when we do play in front of a larger crowd because the energy from it gives me an added adrenaline rush to pitch," said Tyler Storms, a member of the baseball team. "It's an added bonus to have that crowd behind you."
Yost and McGinness echoed similar claims in saying that more support would benefit their teams. Yost believes the support would help because players "can feed off the energy of the fans." McGinness said it would be more fun to compete "knowing that our peers care enough to come out and watch us play."
The only problem for the remaining sports at Albright isn't just the preference for football and men's basketball. The Sport Journal wrote an article back in 1996 that examined fan support at small-college athletic events, which can be found at http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/model-factors-contributing-fan-support-small-college-athletic-events.
Problems discussed by The Sport Journal that occur at Albright are a lack of awareness about other sports games and the low affiliation students have with a variety of sports. Walberg mentioned another factor is the time slot in which many of our teams play.
"Sports like soccer and field hockey primarily play their games at night on the weekdays," said Walberg. "As it gets colder in the fall, many students don't want to sit outside to watch these teams play."
Students and administration alike should continue to go out and root for the football team as well as men's basketball. Through winning, they've earned the right to attract large crowds.
However, our school community needs to find ways to increase attendance figures at all home games. All Albright athletes put the time and work in to hone their talents for when the games begin.
Someone should be there to cheer them on. It could go a long way.
Photos of basketball and football fans courtesy of the Albright Athletic department
