Where's The Spirit

Where’s the spirit
My daughter plays volleyball for Richland High School. My wife and I enjoy watching her and the team play. The Rams ended a very exciting and successful season just a couple of weeks ago. With a record of 14 wins and 1 loss, the Rams won the Laurel Highlands Conference Championship. Without any stand-out/superstar players, the team relied on hustle and good fundamental volleyball. It was a good season, and I congratulate the girls on a job well done.
Another reason it was an enjoyable season was that the team played its home games in a beautiful new gym that rivals any high school gym I’ve ever been in. Richland just opened its new high school this fall, and the girl’s volleyball team was the first to use the new facility
You would think that a winning team and a brand new facility would bring fans and supporters out to watch and cheer the team on. Of course, in the stands, were the regular fans. Parents, Grandparents, and siblings were always on hand to support the girls, but where was the student body. I never saw more than a handful of Richland students at any one game, and they rarely stayed for the entire game. What’s happened to the school spirit at Richland High School? I can understand not attending away games, but not supporting your team at home games, just doesn’t sit well with me. The Lady Rams played seven or eight away games this past season, and I recall there being a noticeable student support contingent cheering for the home team at all of those games. Some of these student-cheering sections numbered sixty or seventy. While discussing this situation with my daughter, she informed me that the team did notice the lack of support from the student body, and this bothered the team a little.
The greatest lack of student support for the Ram’s came during the district playoffs. The lady Rams, being seated number two in the district, drew a bye in round one of the playoffs. This set up a second round playoff game at the Rams home gym against visiting Baldwin High School, about sixty miles away. The Rams drew their usual eight or nine student supports, which were not heard from during game. The Baldwin Eagle team brought a strong contingent of adult supporters, but also fifty or sixty excited, enthusiastic and boisterous student followers. These kids literally took over the gym. They wore their team color t-shirts and cheered every point their team scored. My wife and I sat a few rows behind this group, and they were very entertaining. Their enthusiasm pumped up the visiting team and seemed to negatively affect the home team. Our girls lost the match, ending the season. I’m not saying the rowdy visitors were the reason for the loss, but it did affect the moral of the Rams.
In closing, I ask the Richland Student body. Where’s the pride? Where’s the school spirit? Get out there and support your fellow students in all sports. Have some fun. Attend a game, and get a little rowdy. I think you will create some great high school memories.