All responsible for support at Dal need to start supporting and stop pointing
Henry Whitfield, Staff Contributor
With a record streak of 24 straight AUS championship volleyball wins on the line, the fifth set was about to start and you could cut the tension in the building with a knife.
The cheers of “UNB, UNB, UNB,” rolled around the court, and the Varsity Reds fans decked in Red were overpowering the Tigers fans in the attendance.
What’s wrong with this picture?
This scene played out at the Dalplex last weekend, in front of a less than three-quarter-full crowd.
Over 400 computers were watching the match from across the country, many alumni and parents were watching to see history in the making.
However, the home crowd failed to show up and support their athletes.
Heading to Sunday’s game to watch the action play out wasn’t just about who won or lost, but about showing gratitude for athletes that have sweat, bled and given everything on that court, many of them in their final game ever for the black and gold.
Part of the reason may be attributed to the start of the reading week break, but this has been a trend for a long time. Where is the support for our student athletes?
Depending on who you talk to, it is always someone else’s fault.
The same excuses come up.
It’s the university’s fault for not putting in more funding, it’s the athletics department’s fault for not engaging the students and lastly it’s the student’s fault for not showing initiative to come out.
No one wants to take the blame, but it’s an issue that needs to be solved.
A quick look at Dalhousie’s homepage shows nothing affiliated with athletics at the school, but looking at every other school in the Atlantic University Sport conference shows at least a link to their athletics department on their homepage.
Closer look at the athletics department website (www.athletics.dal.ca) shows three of the four rotating stories are about Recreation classes, no mention of the semi-final basketball game against St. FX.
A trip to the residences on campus show a lack of advertising or mention of any upcoming games, while only one in every ten students we asked had even attended a game this year, despite having free admission. Many cite bad teams as a reason for staying away, but that’s an excuse that is getting tired. And it’s not true: all of Dal’s teams are at least competitive night to night, and most are legitimate yearly AUS title contenders.
But going to athletic events isn’t just about the team winning, it’s about showing pride in the school you attend, supporting the athletes that put it all on the line night in and night out, and about going out with friends and having a fun time. Beer is, after all, served at all Tigers games.
Whatever the issue is, the three groups need to stop blaming each other and get together to work on engaging students and bringing out the support our student athletes deserve.
This Saturday the men’s basketball team battles it out at the Metro Centre against St. Francis Xavier in a pivotal semi-final match. The winner is guaranteed a spot at nationals.
Come out and celebrate the athletes who represent our school and show the rest of the AUS that Dalhousie has pride, spirit and that the black and gold are no pushovers on the court or in the stands.
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