Maria Simpson / Copy Editor

   I hate sports… Well, let’s back up. This is the Sports section afterall. “Hate” is a strong word. Let’s put it this way: I don’t exactly jive with sports. I don’t understand a lot of them, at least not enough to enjoy turning a game on or playing in a quick scrimmage.

    It’s not that I haven’t given these activities a fair shot either. Football games continuously  aired on my family’s TV for as long as I can remember. My dad taught me to raise my arms and yell “touchdown” by the time I was just one. I had brief sports careers in soccer, t-ball, gymnastics, ballet, cross country and swimming. Yet, something never quite clicked. 

   However, I do love going to sporting events. I have made countless amazing memories at games, and I almost always have a blast while there, (did you catch the “almost”) even if I don’t particularly care about the sport itself. I think live sporting events offer a great experience for anyone, and people should attend games more, especially on campus. 

    The   atmosphere   at   live  sporting events is part of the draw for me, as it is with many fans, like USD senior Elle Kallsen. 

   “I enjoy certain sports for actual watching like basketball or soccer, but for a football game, just for the culture, for the fun, for the energy,” Kallsen said.

    The   buzz   of   tension, excitement and spirit in the air creates an unbeatable energy. I attended the last home game for women’s volleyball in 2022, before the regional semifinals. The deafening silence that filled the Jenny Craig Pavilion (JCP) as everyone waited on the edge of their seats for a Torero victory sent shivers down my spine. The cheers as the crowd leapt up in celebration was a moment of pure joy for all in the JCP. 

    Although I may  not always  have an attachment  to a particular team winning, being surrounded by fans who do is always a great experience that gets my adrenaline pumping. USD senior Julienne Desanto recently felt the same appreciation for sports fan culture. 

    “I went to a Padres game and didn’t watch any of it, I just love the energy,” Desanto said. 

          Engaging with the community is another reason why I love going to watch live sports. There are countless groups that attendees are supporting just by being present. The athletes, coaches, halftime performers and vendors are just a few examples of the community members who rely on support from fans. It is particularly fun to offer support to student athletes, especially when they are your peers and friends. One of the main reasons that I go to USD football and basketball games is to support my friends on the cheer team. Student athletes, like USD junior Madison Mai-Prasarnsuk, find this kind of support important. 

  “I think athletic support is essential on any campus because alongside sporting events being fun, attendance at them is one of the most prominent demonstrations of school spirit,” Mai-Prasarnsuk said. “Of course there is bias coming from me as a student athlete, but a common subject that my non-athlete friends and I discuss is that our one qualm with USD is our lack of school spirit, and I believe that begins with attendance at sporting events.”

   Get out there and offer your friends and classmates the support they deserve. The best way to increase school spirit is to make that effort to engage in sports as a community. 

     Not only do I go to  games for my friends on the field, but I also go for my friends in the stands with me. I have made some of my best memories with my friends at the games that we have attended. Whether it was going to a San Diego Gulls’ game with my sorority sisters, ending up on the big screen at a USD basketball game doing the macarena with my roommate or having a Super Bowl party with my friends (even if it was partially motivated by Taylor Swift), sporting events have given me memories I can always look back on with a smile. 

    USD senior Julia Humphrey is a sports fan and enjoys the connections sports can bring. 

   “I really like sports. I think going to events is more fun than just watching them on TV. The ambience is there, the energy’s there. It’s fun to have some healthy competition with your friends, like maybe rooting for a different team than them… it bonds people,” Humphrey said. 

   My advice to others who don’t love sports is to try going to a game. Get a good group of friends together and enjoy the experience live sports provide. Especially on campus, engaging with your community in the spirit of a thrilling game will make for a fun and memorable time. 

Sports can be fun whether someone is a die hard fan or social supporter. Photo courtesy of @usdmsoccer/Instagram