Students must support the athletic teams

Students must support the athletic teams

This past week marked an exciting moment in the history of Wake Forest sports as several teams made tremendous strides for their programs.

After defeating Syracuse in a battle to the end, the Demon Deacon’s football team officially became bowl eligible for the second consecutive year.

Then, just when Deacon fans didn’t think it could get any better, the Wake Forest Men’s soccer team won its second straight ACC Title against the University of Virginia.

In addition, the Wake Forest Women’s soccer team advance to the third round of the NCAA tournament, travelling this weekend to West Virginia to take on Penn State.

Story continues below advertisement

As a prestigious private university known for its rigorous academics and a small undergraduate population that roughly hovers around 5,000 students, Wake Forest has been known for not always centering its focus on athletics. With teams posting losing records and wins being rare, the student body in the past seemed to be more concerned with tailgating or drinking beer on the couches by the field rather than the actual game. Often times they would leave the stands before the first quarter ended or never enter the game at all. Yet, this 2017 season has far exceeded even the most cynical Demon Deacons fan’s expectations.

To date, the Wake Forest’s football team has only attended 11 bowl games, including last year’s showing in the Military Bowl hosted in Annapolis. Before this, Wake Forest hadn’t appeared in consecutive bowl games since 2008.

In terms of Men’s soccer, the team secured its first ACC Championship win in 1989, but waited more than two decades to secure their second title in 2016. This is the first time that the Wake Forest Men’s soccer team has ever won back-to-back titles.

The Women’s soccer team has also posted an impressive season. Although they faced trouble during the ACC Championship tournament, this is the first time since 2013 that the team has advanced to the NCAA tournament.

With all of these historical achievements from so many talented athletes, students should attend the games and support the athletes they sit beside in their classes, at the pit and in the library.

With a 6-4 overall record, there is no longer an excuse to attend the tailgate and not go into the game. As the Spry Stadium is located on campus right next to several of the dorms, going to cheer on the Deacs for a study break from the library is a great way to support your fellow classmates.

It is through the fan’s energy that the players receive their momentum and as Coach Clawson wrote in an article published in the Old Gold & Black before the Louisville Game, “As I tweeted out after the Florida State game, your energy for all four quarters was huge, and our players and coaches noticed how vibrant the student section was.”

This same level of commitment shouldn’t be present at just our big games, but rather should be present at all of our games for all of our teams.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All Old Gold & Black Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *