As I approached the starting blocks to swim the 500-yard freestyle event at the Public Schools Athletic League’s Opens Swimming Championships during Veteran’s Day weekend, I had no desire to jump into the pool and complete the 20 long lengths ahead of me.
Stomach flipping and head pounding, I knew the expectations people had for me were high. Making small talk with my official to bide time before the race started, I finally put my goggles on as they introduced the swimmers in their respective lanes.
As the announcer’s voice called, “Eileen Connors, lane 6,” I couldn’t subdue my paranoia. I looked around Lehman College’s huge aquatic complex to see if anyone might actually care about the next seven minutes.
To my left were 25 adoring teammates along with managers, ready to scream their heads off as soon as the race started. To my right was my family, along with my friends and their parents, who were “clapping it up” from the stands. Behind me the official gave me advice on how to attack the pool.
Suddenly, I realized that if I wasn’t going to swim this race for me, the least I could do was be an actress and put on a performance for the fans. My race time was eight seconds faster than it had been the day before.
Be it an actor or an athlete, performers feed off the attention they get while putting on a show. This is especially true for those that don’t normally get much publicity.
The football team, which was able to advertise for their first home games this season, is a prime example.
The varsity Peglegs finished their 2005 season with a disappointing 1-8 record (their lone win was a forfeit). The team finished the following season with an even 5-5 record. This year, the team finished fifth in the division with a 6-4 record.
The increase in spectators this season was due to the use of Pier 40, only a 10-minute walk from school. This makes it easier for students to show support. The Peglegs’ previous home field at Brooklyn Technical High School was a half-hour train ride away. By bringing “Friday Night Lights” to Stuy, the Peglegs attracted a crowd to all three home games and consequently won the latter two.
In contrast, Stuyvesant also has teams like the Lobsters, the girls’ tennis team, who draw little to no fans because they play their home matches in the East River Park along the FDR Drive, a 45-minute bus ride from the school. Despite the lack of support, the Lobsters finished their season last spring with a perfect record, winning their respective division title and placing second in the city.
Sports like tennis and golf are harder for spectators to watch, as they require more concentration and focus by the athletes, and require less action from the crowd. Contact sports like football and basketball, on the other hand, provoke more crowd excitement due to their emphasis on the body and almost animalistic instincts.
When your peers are there to watch you, your field becomes your stage. Between fear of embarrassment and a fierce passion for praise, you just want to “make it good.”
Keeping in mind that sports such as football and swimming have a basic emphasis on the body, it seems fitting that they attract crowds who show their appreciation through sheer volume and almost tribal-like cheers to inspire the athletes. Because as an athlete, when all your senses tell you to stop doing this uncomfortable activity that requires so much energy, it takes a lot more than the internal motivation that a gulp of Gatorade brings.
So pay attention to the sports news covered by the media. Check out the PSAL Web site to see why your friends are antisocial while in season. And remember: most people would never let an actor perform a play with no audience. So don’t let games go unwatched.