On Feb. 3, one year ago today, my life changed forever.
Before I tell you why that day was so important, let me give you a little bit of back story. There I was, an unassuming second-year transfer student. I was still recovering from my first semester at the University, had never written a piece of journalism in my life and hadn’t taken an English class since my senior year of high school.
It was around this time last year that I was beginning to appreciate all of the free or cheap opportunities available to students on Grounds. I tried to take advantage of as many as I could: $3 movies at Newcomb Theater, racquetball courts in Slaughter Recreation Center, interesting public speakers, semiformal dances and more a capella concerts than you ever possibly thought could exist.
There was one activity in particular that became my absolute favorite. It lit up my afternoons and weekends and gave me something to get excited about. It was women’s basketball.
Yep, I fell in love with the Virginia women’s basketball team last year. I went to every home game of the season, became familiar with the players, scoured stat sheets, and — I kid you not — hung up pictures of my favorite athletes on the team around my suite.
It was 366 days ago that I decided I was unhappy with the level of attendance at the continually underappreciated women’s basketball team’s home games. I wrote a letter to the editor-in-chief of The Cavalier Daily complaining.
Though my letter was never published, I did get an e-mail back, asking me if I would be interested in writing for the Sports section because I was so interested in the team.
About two weeks later, my very first article ran. Since then, my interaction with sports and sports journalism has become a blur. It’s been daily, nonstop and absolutely glorious. I’ve constantly found new parts of Virginia sports to immerse myself in.
This past weekend, I was elected Sports Editor of The Cavalier Daily. It’s been an interesting and educational journey, navigating my way from neophyte basketball fan to resident sport aficionado, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of the things I’ve learned about Virginia athletics and sports in general since I pressed the “send” button on that e-mail a year ago.
First, pick a team and stick by them. Whether it’s the 300-pound defensive linemen on the football team or the skinny women golfers in their short skirts, athletic teams survive off of a small corps of highly dedicated fanatics. Go to every home event you can, and be sure to take a road trip to an away game at least once a season.
To the casual, channel-surfing sports fans, it may seem absurd and tedious to trek out and watch games live. Once you’ve really adopted a team as your own, though, you’ll understand why it’s important. It’s hard to really grasp the distinct personalities of the athletes until you’ve seen firsthand the beads of sweat on their foreheads, watched them interact with their coaches and spent a good bit of time watching them play in person.
Next, whenever you follow a team, really get into it. Make posters, send e-mails and online messages to the athletes you come to admire and cheer until your voice goes numb. You’ll have fun and might even be surprised, as I was, how many of them get back to you and thank you.
Finally, never give up on a team, even if they start losing. It’s human nature to drift only toward successful teams. After all, as pragmatic creatures, we love to emulate success. Avoid glorifying only success.
Whatever blood, sweat and tears you put into becoming a full-fledged fan for your favorite team will be paid back tenfold once your team turns around. Ask any devoted fan of a local sports team who’s seen them turn from pathetic to powerhouse. It’s invigorating and fulfilling.
So here I sit, now an unassuming third-year student, looking back on the past year and reflecting how well it has treated me. I think about the dozens of Cavalier sporting events I’ve watched, the hundreds of great memories, the stories I have to tell and the thousands of moments that have taken my breath away — and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
So I ask you — nay, I implore you — to not let your college years slip away without taking advantage of the 23 phenomenal Virginia sports teams just aching for devoted fans. A capella and movies are great and all, but there’s nothing like the raw energy of watching a live sporting event. To watch your team crumble and then rise from the ashes, to see athletes walking around Grounds eating a sandwich, to absorb yourself in the culture and the emotion of the local sports scene, to walk home from a sporting event with a hoarse voice but a strengthened spirit, to care about a team as if it’s your very own, truly is a joy beyond compare.
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