You take the ball down the field, pass if it off, and your team mate scores the game winning goal. Your team cheers from the sidelines, but all you hear from the crowd is the clapping from four parents. This is the affect of a decrease in students’ interest in different sports.
I recently attended a JV and varsity girls soccer game and I observed that the total number of parents and friends in the stands was less than 15. This number is almost a one-hundred percent decrease from the number of people that attend varsity football games in the fall.
This low number of support could be cause by multiple factors, one being school spirit. Many sports at AHS do not get the hype that they very well deserve. Before big games, sports such as lacrosse, football, and basketball, there are signs all over the school that wish them luck. But for sports such as golf, softball, and soccer, this type of advertisement is rare. The appreciation for certain teams get is great, but other teams should  also recieve equal appreciation.
Being a varsity softball player myself, I see the decrease in support from students at my games compared to the support given to a lacrosse player. This loss in support is from a long history of putting more sports on a pedastal, and not others. Many students show little care or respect for the work that each athlete puts into their team, and instead base all judgements on past seasons of that same sport. During pep rallies, it is obvious which teams have gained more respect from the school. Football, basketball, and lacrosse are the the sports with the highest recognition. It is well recognized that there is some type of respect for all sports teams, and the more support the better, but every team deserves the same amount of cheers and respect from their peers.
The faculty is another contributing factor to the little support for certain sports. At many high schools, teachers spend their evenings cheering on students at home games going on at their school. To be honest, I do not think I have ever seen this kind of recognition from teachers. Students thrive off of the respect from their teachers and principals. When it seems those individuals do not care about the student’s efforts, it’s saddening.
I remember when former principal, Mr.Ponton,was here, he made it his goal to visit every sport, whether it be during a practice or game, to congratulate the team and wish them luck. This showed commitment as a principal and as a leader and gave athletes the attention they deserve. Now that Ponton is gone, the teacher support has too and has left some sports with empty stadiums.
Students are not informed about upcoming games for all sports. Sometimes in the announcements at the end of the day, a small “Good Luck” is wished upon certain teams, but not everyone is always recognized. Each sport should always be recognized no matter how much student support it receives.
Being an athlete, I know how much time and effort is placed into all sports. It doesn’t  matter whether you run, swim, dribble, bat, punt, check, shoot, or hit. Every time an athlete steps on the field, they represent AHS. When the stands are left empty on the home side, yet filled on the visitors, it is an embarrassing mark on AHS and our sports teams.