Bennie athletes deserve the same support as Johnnies
This is the Our View, prepared by the Editorial Board and the institutional voice of The Record.
The energy in Claire Lynch gym was electric last Friday.
The stands were brimming with fans, and cheering sections were on their feet charging up the gym with boisterous antics.
The energy transferred to the court as the Johnnie basketball team pulled off a win against St. Olaf in the MIAC semifinals.
The game marked a unique event: the Johnnies playing on the Bennie home court at CSB due to a water pipe bursting in the Palaestra. The game also served to showcase the disparity between support for Johnnie and Bennie athletics.
Amid the atmosphere of intense school spirit, we couldn’t help but think this is the most fan action Claire Lynch has seen, and if trends continue, will ever see.
The Bennie basketball team averages 122 fans each home game, while the Johnnie basketball team averages 588, according to the respective athletic departments.
That’s a difference of 466 fans in the stands.
A 466-fan gap between the schools can affect the team’s game. Studies examining fan energy impacts on a team’s performance have shown that emotional and energy alignments in the stands give the team on the court an edge, according to Eric Leskowitz, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School.
Why then do we give this edge to our Johnnies more than to our Bennies?
Johnnie and Bennie athletes are both dedicated to their sports, giving their time and energy to improving their game. They both undoubtedly deserve our support. The CSB/SJU school spirit also includes CSB.
To pack the stands for Bennies, there needs to be a conscious cultural shift in how we view Bennie athletics. Many Johnnie athletic teams receive support because of the fan atmosphere created at their games; the people come because the people are there.
For instance, most of the 6,493 fans at Johnnie football games are not there merely for the sake of an entertaining game. They are there for the atmosphere. They are there to feel the electric pulse of fan energy and be part of the tide of school spirit.
The same is true for the packed Johnnie basketball games this weekend. The student sections were filled to feed off the rush of school spirit and be part of the electric atmosphere.
These Johnnie teams are successful and work hard. They deserve the rush of fan support. But so do their Bennie counterparts.
To name just a few Bennie accomplishments so far this year: two volleyball players received MIAC honors; five Bennie basketball players received MIAC honors; Bennie hockey advanced to playoffs for the first time in 20 years; softball is off to an undefeated start; and Bennie track and field and swim and dive had record-shattering seasons.
Supporting our Bennie athletes improves relations off the field, rink or court. It improves relations in the classroom and strengthens the community values we extol. It’s about more than just the game.
Let’s start that shift of supporting Bennie athletes for the sake of supporting Bennie athletes. Let’s create that heart-racing high of school spirit at Bennie games. Let’s pack Claire Lynch and the Sister Lois Outdoor Athletic Complex like we do the Palaestra and Clemens Stadium.
Show up and show team spirit on both campuses. Bennies athletes deserve it.