Fall sports at Franklin High school are coming to a close as November is approaching. Two sports in particular are very popular: men’s varsity soccer and varsity football. The student body is abuzz with discussion about after-school games, where youth and parents gather to watch Franklin’s football and varsity men’s soccer team compete against rival teams. Posters hang in the school hallways reminding students to attend games. Even when scrolling on social media, you will find advertisements for upcoming games, and what clothing or themes people should wear to the games. This kind of advertising tends to draw more people to the men’s games because men’s sports get more school attention.
When comparing the attention that men’s varsity soccer receives versus the women’s varsity soccer team per game, the results from athletes’ observations were extreme. The lack of attention that the women’s varsity soccer team receives is frustrating not only for the players and coaches, but for women in general. Thus raising the questions: “What does the crowd mean to the player?” and “Does crowd attendance affect a player’s performance?” Ella Callanan, a senior at Franklin High School and a varsity soccer player on the women’s team, states, “The crowd is important, because it means people care, and are willing to show up … It means people are entertained by what they are watching.”
In comparison to men’s sports, women’s sports often receive less attention, recognition, and support, although many female athletes work equally as hard if not harder than men to achieve success in their sport. As many know, the 2023 FIFA Womens’ World Cup was held this past summer in Australia just months after the Mens’ FIFA World Cup. Yet many people appeared to turn a blind eye to the hard working efforts of the U.S. women’s team.
It’s important to give athletes of all genders recognition for their time and effort, whether that means attending all sporting events, taking part in the student section, or just spreading the word. Callanan states, “I always hear about people going to the men’s soccer games,” and when asked if the women’s varsity team garners as much attention as the men’s team, she responds with “definitely not.”
It’s important to note that the Franklin men’s varsity soccer team is very talented and has a track record of performing well. The men’s varsity soccer team even went on to win the state title against La Salle in 2019. However, this doesn’t detract from the accomplishments of the women’s team. The varsity girls are very talented and Callanan has recently been offered a D1 opportunity.
Current junior Emerson Porter, a large supporter of Franklin athletics and a varsity soccer player for the women’s team, spoke about the imbalance of support the team receives. Porter says, “It’s usually only the parents in the audience that attend our games.” She continued, “Where is the Storm Squad? Or are they at the boys’ games?”
Storm Squad, the student support section, helps increase the vibrance of the crowd during athletic events. Typically, they lead chants and encourage school spirit during games, however there often seems to be a pattern where Storm Squad promotes and emphasizes some events over others during the school year. Charlotte Storrs, a senior at Franklin and a member of the Storm Squad says, “I have not seen Storm Squad at a women’s soccer game yet,” but adds, “It’s hard when our Storm Squad is mostly ASB kids … we need more devoted Storm Squad club members and more publicity for women’s soccer games.”
Porter also shares, “The crowd motivates the players; the cheering and support is helpful during the game.” The crowd’s participation helps inspire and encourage the players to play to their best ability. How can we as a Franklin community create a stronger sense of community and support for all athletes at their games, regardless of gender? When Porter was asked this question, she responded, “I think it would be helpful to have more publicity, and announce the games more.”
The lack of discussion and communication could be a factor behind the lack of attendance of certain events. Fortunately, this is an easy task to fix. Simply announcing the upcoming games over the loudspeaker could prevent this from being a communication issue. Additionally, for students who may not have access to social media, having multiple in person calendars or whiteboards around the school that tracked the upcoming school-related events for people to attend, would be a helpful solution. Starting this year, a whiteboard with the weekly athletic schedule has been placed outside of the ASB classroom, M-221.
Simply showing up has a meaningful impact on many athletes, especially seniors, who have dedicated time and effort to their sport. The crowd is connected to the athlete as much as the athlete is connected to the crowd.
