For Piedmont Lions athletes, having a home crowd to hear is a huge advantage. Having home field advantage gives the Lions an extra edge and motivation. Game atmospheres sometimes escalate due to fans however, and fan behavior can often get out of hand. Here are some quick tips on how to act during gameday.
It’s only natural for fans to react when a referee makes a call that may seem wrong. Often the cause of inappropriate fan behavior is when those calls happen.
“If you’re at a game watching for Piedmont, you’re more likely to see calls that go against Piedmont,” said Athletic Communications Director Joseph Garwood. “It’s only natural. It’s part of the fan experience. I do think there are lines that you should not cross like personal attacks or profanity.”
In a group atmosphere, it’s difficult to not cross the lines, but once you leave the gym or the field, everyone’s still human, so personal attacks or profanity are unnecessary. There’s no true need for those things, as fans represent not only Piedmont, but their own identity.
“I want people to hold our institution in high regard,” said Athletic Director Jim Peeples.
Cheering for Piedmont should not be nerve-wracking or make a fan stressed on what they shouldn’t do. Sports are meant to be enjoyed, and Piedmont fans often make the game environment enjoyable.
“The men’s tennis team in the past couple of years will come to a [basketball] game every once in a while and sit behind the Piedmont bench,” said Garwood. “That way, when the other team in the first half is shooting by them, they’ll get rowdy and create more of that home court atmosphere that you want to see.”
For Lions faithful alike, the goal is to create a high-energy atmosphere without crossing the lines that Garwood mentioned. Yelling and chanting is encouraged, just as long as it doesn’t include personal attacks or profanity.
Also remember that not everyone in attendance is a college student. “Because there’s kids around, you’ve gotta keep it tame,” Garwood said. “Families love coming to cheer on their Lions and it’s important that fans keep the environment appropriate.”
Whether you’re in the Walker Athletic Complex or Cave Arena, cheer loud and proud for Piedmont. Naturally, the thoughts of wanting to make personal attacks will come through, just try to keep them to yourself and prevent anything from spiraling out of control. That creates a great game experience that holds Piedmont to a high standard, and makes other institutions respect the Lions fanbase.
