A freshman’s expectations

Coming from small town Belfield, North Dakota, my view on sports is different from many people. Due to the small numbers in my high school, many opportunities were wide open for me to succeed in many different facets of life, including sports. My chances to participate in these things are greatly decreased now that I have moved on campus, but my expectations of these sports remain the same. One sport that certainly brought attention to North Dakota State has been football. Football is a passion in my life, so seeing NDSU win the national championship against Sam Houston State was certainly a thrill. Going to this year’s football games is certainly something I look forward to.

However, there is a wide range of other sports that have seen a great amount of success. NDSU’s volleyball team ended last season with a record of 26-9 and a Summit League championship, and have been predicted to win it yet again. In basketball, the men’s and the women’s teams both finished with a winning record at home and are looking to improve on last year’s performance for NDSU. The men’s baseball and women’s softball teams also won their Summit League championships and have each already been picked to repeat. There are countless other sports that have experienced an incredible amount of success while representing the green and gold.

These achievements, however, are not what I anticipate most from sporting events at my new home. Back in Belfield, sports were not only seen as a physical activity, but as a social one as well. If somebody wasn’t out on the field, they were cheering from the stands or helping with concessions. It was a group effort and everyone at school had a helping hand in our teams’ victories, and no piece of the puzzle was more important than the next.

I expect the same camaraderie here in college. I hope every fan sees how important they are to helping teams win, either by volunteering to help out for the team away from the competition, or just cheering as loud as they can during it. Making noise during a football, volleyball, basketball or almost any other game can often be the difference between a loss and a win.

All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees knows how important each and every person is for a team. After breaking the single season passing record, he gave a televised speech in the locker room. However, he never once talked about himself. He only talked about what his equipment managers, teammates, fans, coaches, trainers and owners did. “I want all of you to be proud of this because it’s all about you,” Brees said. “It’s not about one person.”

I look forward to this same sort of thing from the athletic program at NDSU. When I first decided that I wanted to go to school here, I knew that the odds of me being recruited to play football here were about the same as a Lamborghini falling from the sky being in my name and fully insured. What I fully wanted though, and still do, was to go to an abundance of games covered in green and gold and ready to cheer. I also trust that any team that I go to watch will play like a sportsmanlike team and put on a show at the same time. Most of all, I fully expect my fellow students and myself to, as a whole, help our teams compete and continue to win.