Fans 'fuel' Bronco athletes

By Erin Hussey

The weeks preceding New Years at Santa Clara are generally about the same. Everyone complains about having to go to class, people act as if they will melt when it starts to mist, and Malley Fitness Center becomes busier than a Friday night at The Hut.

Thinking I would be avoiding the crowd, I headed to the gym around 2 p.m. To my dismay, only three upright bikes and one broken treadmill remained. While girls in capri spandex multi-tasked on the cardio machines with magazines, guys with cut-off shirts struggled to finish their last set. Looking around, a commercial by 24 Hour Fitness caught my eye.

It zoomed in and out of various people working out in the same sweaty, heather grey T-shirt, but for each person, the phrase on the shirt was different.

For the women in the cycling class, it read "Baby Weight," for the man doing sit-ups, it read "Turn Keg Into Six Pack." Each phrase described a different incentive for working out. But, as the decrease in numbers by the end of the month at Malley often proves, one's fuel for working out can become exhausted.

The word 'fuel' is used a lot in athletics. Not only is an athlete's 'fuel'-- their food -- important, but their spiritual 'fuel,' a desire to compete, is equally as significant. And, unlike the commercial, what makes them play harder cannot be simplified into one-phrase.

Athletes may draw upon a variety of sources including coaches, teammates, family, friends, and individual self-motivation to keep them going. Their fuel might involve religion or anger or pure love of the sport.

Last Thursday when the Leavey center was ringing with noise and the Bronco players were hot with intensity, I knew that we, the fans, were a key part of their passion. Every time Bailey or Perkins or Niesen made a pivotal play, they looked to the stands. They wanted more of that kind of fuel they rarely get a change to use: FANS.

So the next time you see a Bronco athlete on campus, think about the possibility of becoming a part of their energy. Your support as a fan might not be the only phrase on their T-shirt, but your spirit is powerful.

And unlike the soon to be deserted ellipticals, athletes cannot just wait. They will compete with or without you. But wouldn't it be cool to know that you were a part of an athlete's fuel and not just some forgotten phrase?

* Contact Erin Hussey at (408) 551-1918 or ehussey@scu.edu.