Opinion: The SJC Booster Club needs to get it together

St. John’s varsity volleyball team had a great away game against Maret three weeks ago. We swept them in three sets, with final scores of 25-15, 25-9, and 25-15. However, there was one aspect of the game that made the day bittersweet: Maret’s loyal fan base. As loud and obnoxious as they were, our whole team felt the excitement and energy of Maret’s student section as we crushed them.

There were at least 40 students there to cheer on their team, a number St. John’s volleyball has never experienced. They watched the entire match and cheered for every point Maret scored. Even though they lost, their students’ unwavering school spirit supported their team until the end. I openly admit that I was jealous of them, even after winning.

So why do we not have our own fan base? We have at least one home game every week, and our team has an Instagram account to update our “fans.” I believe that the issue lies with our Booster Club, the group that is supposed to lead students in school spirit.

Although they do a great job of rallying students for football games, they have missed most of our volleyball games in past years. Even our special Rock the Red, Senior Night, and Dig Pink games have very low turnouts from the Booster Club. However, this is not just an issue for the girls’ volleyball team; other sports, such as field hockey, soccer, and tennis, experience the same problem. These teams have exciting games as well, and all deserve a lively student section.

I am not saying that we need as many fans to show up to our games as the football team; in fact, that would be overwhelming. However, it would be nice if the Booster Club helped us promote our games, especially the important ones I mentioned previously. Our student population is nearly three times the size of Maret’s, so it does not make sense that three times as many of their students come to their games than ours. We have extremely talented players on our team and the potential to become champions this season. But as athletes, we need support, recognition, and school spirit in order to succeed.