spirit of the game
I was at Wethersfield High yesterday for the big conference championship battle between Farmington and Wethersfield in boys soccer. I have to say that the Wethersfield fans never cease to amuse me. OK, I have to admit that there are times they stretch sportsmanship to the brink, and probably even go beyond that. I don't support mocking opponents for the way they look or their names.
But the Wethersfield fans have a playfulness to most of what they do that tells you it's not malicious. That doesn't stop it from getting under the skins of opposing fans and players, which is part of the home field advantage.
Yesterday, and most of this season in fact, their favorite thing to do is the "roll call". They will chant a player's name until that player acknowledges them from the field. At that point they let out a big cheer for that player and go on to the next guy. This, we decided, is something that works in only a handful of sports where the action is less than constant.
They do this starting with warmups and continuing through most of the game. Yesterday, the fans got through most of the players and continued on. They chanted "Robby Jachym" until the longtime coach waved. They chanted "Hami Kara" until last year's goalie and the current volunteer assistant coach signaled them. Next was "Scott the Trainer" and Scott Applebaum took the applause.
Then it continued. But the referees either didn't hear them or wouldn't oblige. It stopped at that. I assume had any of them known my name, I would have been the next one to get chanted, standing on the sidelines at midfield, and then maybe they would have gone on to calling out the sideline runners and finish up with the opposing fans. But they lost interest before it got to that.
The other thing I like is that they may be the only fans I know who cheer the warmups. As Wethersfield went through the motions on its standard passing and shooting drill, the fans seemed legitimately upset when the Eagles would miss a shot off the post or entirely off net. They would likewise cheer when keeper Dillon Walsh made a save on his own teammate.
It's fair to say some of this enthusiasm is forced, but not entirely fake. There's a genuine excitement from these fans towards their classmates. And so long as it doesn't cross the line to being unsportsmanlike, which at times it does, I love it.
They'll need to do it without the drums at the state tournament, though. The CIAC doesn't allow noisemakers or signs of any kind at those games.
But the Wethersfield fans have a playfulness to most of what they do that tells you it's not malicious. That doesn't stop it from getting under the skins of opposing fans and players, which is part of the home field advantage.
Yesterday, and most of this season in fact, their favorite thing to do is the "roll call". They will chant a player's name until that player acknowledges them from the field. At that point they let out a big cheer for that player and go on to the next guy. This, we decided, is something that works in only a handful of sports where the action is less than constant.
They do this starting with warmups and continuing through most of the game. Yesterday, the fans got through most of the players and continued on. They chanted "Robby Jachym" until the longtime coach waved. They chanted "Hami Kara" until last year's goalie and the current volunteer assistant coach signaled them. Next was "Scott the Trainer" and Scott Applebaum took the applause.
Then it continued. But the referees either didn't hear them or wouldn't oblige. It stopped at that. I assume had any of them known my name, I would have been the next one to get chanted, standing on the sidelines at midfield, and then maybe they would have gone on to calling out the sideline runners and finish up with the opposing fans. But they lost interest before it got to that.
The other thing I like is that they may be the only fans I know who cheer the warmups. As Wethersfield went through the motions on its standard passing and shooting drill, the fans seemed legitimately upset when the Eagles would miss a shot off the post or entirely off net. They would likewise cheer when keeper Dillon Walsh made a save on his own teammate.
It's fair to say some of this enthusiasm is forced, but not entirely fake. There's a genuine excitement from these fans towards their classmates. And so long as it doesn't cross the line to being unsportsmanlike, which at times it does, I love it.
They'll need to do it without the drums at the state tournament, though. The CIAC doesn't allow noisemakers or signs of any kind at those games.
Labels: fans, Wethersfield
posted by Ryan Pipke at
2:31 PM
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