Watching your varsity team play other colleges is one of the most exhilarating aspects of the college experience.
Peter Benedict St Andrews knows this all too well, as he spent countless hours cheering his alma mater on to victory.
As an alumni, he still does, adding a richness to his life that others could desperately use. Want to support your college sports team with pride? Here’s how to get it done:
1) Wear their colors on game day
The best part of the college sports experience is the anticipation that game day brings. The second you get out of bed, slip on the shirt or sweater of your team so you can show it off wherever you go.
If you don’t have an official shirt, sweater, or jersey on you (if it’s in the laundry because you wear it too much, that’s totally cool), wear something that matches the colors that your team wears.
This way, you and others around town who also support the team will be in solidarity as game time approaches.
2) Host a tailgate party
Not able to get tickets to the game, but don’t want to quietly watch the game at home like a schlub? Gather up the coolers and the grill, and get thee to the venue parking lot.
To be honest, be sure to read up on the rules surrounding this, as open consumption may not be allowed where you live.
However, if there are other parties in open view, you should be good to go, so long as you don’t make any trouble.
Invite all your friends along, but don’t be afraid to mingle and meet other compatriots as they watch the game from their own compounds.
Indeed, the best part of tailgating is the shared experience of burgers, beers, and watching your team kick some butt.
3) Bring noisemakers to the game (and use them)
If you manage to get into the game, don’t just sit there with your hands folded like the corporate suits do.
Make some noise to support your team. Again, make sure there is no ordinance against noisemakers, as we wouldn’t want to see you get escorted out of the building.
If you are good to go, bring inflatable thunder sticks, cowbells, a healthy set of lungs – whatever will get your team pumped up and the opposition off their game.
4) Start cheers (or the wave)
As a corollary to the above point, involve your fellow fans in the fun. Whether you choose to go with a simple ‘Let’s go [team]!’, or choose to invent a more creative cheer or taunt, what you start can spread across the arena and impact the game in ways you can’t imagine.
If you are with friends, start the wave with them – when you have a group doing it with you, the rest of the arena/stadium is more apt to join in, creating a fun time for everyone.
Athletes in arenas with an active crowd often fete them as the extra player on their bench, so if the atmosphere where you are watching isn’t up to snuff, do something about it.