Written by Julia Jenkins
Harding’s men’s basketball team is closing out a strong season with just a few home games left. To boost morale and student attendance at Saturday’s home game against Southern Arkansas, the coaches are offering incentives. The men’s and women’s small club with the highest attendance will win $100, and the large club winners will receive $200. This event unites social clubs on campus in support of the team and creates an exciting atmosphere at Rhodes-Reaves Field House.
Head coach for the men’s basketball team, Weston Jameson, has been a key figure in making the event happen. Having experienced a crowded arena during his time playing basketball for Harding, Jameson knows the power of a packed crowd and wants the same for his players.
“I played here,and so I was able to experience what it’s like to play in a full Rhodes-Reaves field house with my fellow students cheering me on,” Jameson said. “I know exactly what that feels like and there’s really not a better feeling in the world than playing in a packed out Rhodes.”
Having a large crowd present is mutually beneficial to both the student body and the basketball team. Besides chapel and other sporting events, it is rare that students gather together to support a common cause. Although this event is geared towards which social club has the most people, the main outcomes are for the students to have fun and for the team to have the energy to play well. Junior Grayson Thomas, athletic representative for the Student Government Association, encourages students to take advantage of this experience.
“You have nothing to lose,” Thomas said. “If you go, you’re going to have a great time. You’re going to meet people if you don’t have a lot of friends just yet. You’re going to see a lot of fun people, it’s going to be good energy, and you might win something for your club.”
Not only is the crowd important for the student body itself, but it also gives the players the motivation to play well. Junior Houston Hudgins, who has experienced how important a crowd is to a game, describes the power of a strong student population as well as a home court advantage.
“If you’re down, it’s no longer ‘you’re down and out’,” Hudgins said. “It’s ‘you’re down and coming back.’ It just changes the whole mindset.”
A strong crowd gives the team encouragement to play for something bigger than themselves. The energy from the stands fuels the players’ performance, turning every moment into a shared experience between the team and the fans.
“I would say that life is more fun in community,” Jameson said. “You really can make a difference by cheering or forcing someone to miss a free throw on the other team. There’s just lots of opportunities where fans can impact the game in a way that doesn’t exist in other sports, so we would love for as many people to be there as possible.”
