The viewing of sports, one of the most popular activities in high school, tends to decline throughout the school year. The student body mainly shows up for the football and volleyball games at the beginning of the year. Those sports get attendance, but less popular sports don’t get as many students to attend.
“Track, getting to compete after school, is just a sport that has a lot going on,” athletics coordinator Coach Kevin Hirst said. “So there’s so many things going on at once and it’s all spread out.”
Another factor is the weather. Outdoor sports such as tennis, golf, and soccer affect the attendance as well. Being out in the heat of the day to watch a sports team isn’t what the student body wants. Football games being more popular and later in the evening may help its case.
“The weather is going to have an effect, and the success of the team is going to have an effect on how many students attend,” Hirst said.
The success of the team is huge. The student body goes out of their way to watch the competitions and if the team isn’t where the hype around football helps the attendance rate. Sports that may be less successful in their endeavors aren’t what people are going to want to see.
“I think the big factor with things like tennis, golf and swimming, is that those competitions are during the day and not in the evening,” Hirst said. “So then you miss out on the student body getting an opportunity to come out, and the adults that have a job.”
