It was a bit windy and a bit cloudy, but with the temperature just under 65, it was a fine day—perfect for the RB Boys varsity soccer team, who just happened to have a game on that given day. The opposing team showed up right on time and the game was played well, resulting with a victory for the Bulldogs. Only one problem remained, where were all the fans?
Just under 20 students showed up to cheer on the Bulldogs, a far cry in comparison to RB’s football games, or basketball games, that have been known to fill the stands, and then some.
On a normal Friday night, The RB football team will bring an entire stadium full of bulldogs in to help cheer on the team, and just as many, for the opposing team. This makes quite a difference, especially to the players.
Boy’s Soccer Junior Varsity Coach Josh Bozeday gave his concern, “it’s unfortunate, really, and if people would appreciate the smaller aspects of the sport they would enjoy the game.”
So what is it that makes soccer such an unpopular sport in comparison to others at RB? Across the world soccer is hands down the most popular sport of all, it’s the only true universal sport. In some countries, professional soccer games have just the opposite problem: overcrowding.
Bozeday said, “It’s hard to say why, I think that traditionally, football is just the game to go to. It might be that the football team has just one game a week, where as the soccer team has 26 games in a season.”
Junior Rachel Powell confirmed by noting that, “football games are more convenient because they are at night and on the weekends, rather than after school during the week.”
Though the Girls Soccer season does not start until March, the girl’s team has the same problem. Girl’s Varsity Soccer Coach Marissa Dobbertin said, “over the seven years since there has been a girl’s soccer team, fan turnout has rose significantly. Their record has been improving, and the fan turnout has as well.”
“People want to see great soccer.” Dobbertin said. The girl’s varsity team is starting their 8th season this March, and look forward to a good one.
Senior Ashley Mendoza said her attraction to football over soccer is simply, because there is, “more action in football.”
A lack of action is a common misconception of soccer in America, but the reality is, that as previously mentioned, soccer games just have small scores. Sometimes a soccer game may leave the victor with only 2-4 points scored, but the process of scoring those points is quite a challenge. Soccer forces players to constantly run and keep control of the ball.
Boy’s varsity soccer player Hrvoje Zolo said, “America is all about football and baseball. If there are more fans, we try harder, it boosts our potential.” Zolo also noted that more people should come to the soccer games because they “actually win”.
Bozeday added that, “the more fans, the more energetic and enthusiastic the players are.”
“I’ve noticed a difference in the way they play when the fans are there” said Dobbertin about the girl’s team.
Boy’s Varsity Soccer player Josip Lovrinovic agreed when stating that “we would have higher morale during the tough games and that’s when we need them”.
The Varsity Boy’s Coach Danny Makaric leading the boys with a record of 6-0 as of 9-29-09, it’s amazing that more people haven’t paying attention to RB Soccer.
When it comes down to it, it’s really not about why people don’t go to the games. The past can’t be changed, but the future can. So next time there is a game, grab some friends and go show some love to the RB soccer team.
