The Benilde-St. Margaret’s football team has played three games at home and so far in all three games the student section is cleared out after halftime. Many fans, football players, and student section leaders are disappointed in the attendance.
Football games for many schools are the place to be and are exciting, but Benilde-St. Margaret’s football games don’t seem like it. After half-time, the student section is gone or is on its way out. In the first game at home, the student section was cheering loudly and stayed. “The energy that the student section brought that first game was electric and I know that a lot of the players look super excited to play and hyped up. If we can have that throughout the season, during the full game, I mean that would go far. I think this team could kind of get over that next hump,” senior Cole Langevin said.
Most fans don’t want to stay because they want to go hang out with their friends. Many students don’t want to watch the team lose and many are there to watch the dancers put on a performance. “We’re normally already losing, and the outcome is normally a loss, and everyone just wants to watch the dancers,” sophomore Hannah Larson said.
The team finds it easier to win when they have people cheering for them. They can feel the momentum change when the fans leave and feel the energy in the stadium die. “I think it’d be a great idea, especially in those close games. I think that we could potentially come out on top, especially if [the students are] there till the end, cheering for us,” Langevin said.
Spirit squad members think that spirit tickets help bring people to the game but they should be handed out at the end of the game to keep people there or make a concession voucher if you stay the whole time, and the student section leaders encourage everyone to stay. Many students think that if the student section leaders stay the whole game and switch up the chants people will also stay. The leaders think that if they can keep people excited and loud people will stay the whole game. “It’s important to keep the energy going from everyone. And you know, if you keep everyone focused, paying attention, they’re going to stay for the game,” Langevin said.