At the University of Akron, sports play a huge role in providing opportunities for athletes to develop their skills as they further their athletic careers, while simultaneously providing students and other fans in the community with an escape from reality.
During the fall semester, InfoCision Stadium is full of life as fans gather to watch Zips football. During the spring semester, Skeeles Field becomes the center of attention as the Zips baseball team looks to put on a show for everyone in attendance.
In either situation, we always see the big sports attracting the big crowds. This begs the question, “What about the smaller sports?” What about the athletes who work just as hard but don’t get nearly as much recognition? This is the case for many of the women’s sports here at the University of Akron.
The argument is backed up with data from gozips.com, the official athletics website for the University of Akron. Among all of the data are statistics from the fall 2022 semester as well as the spring 2023 semester.
During the fall 2022 semester, football averaged 11,199 people per home game, while men’s basketball averaged 1,922 people. In comparison, the volleyball team only averaged 213 people.
To further expand on this issue, things have not changed in the spring 2023 semester. So far this season, the baseball team has attracted an average of 177 people per home game. Looking into the women’s sports, the softball team has averaged 112 people thus far, while the lacrosse team has averaged 98 people. While the evidence isn’t as staggering, the facts remain.
After examining all the information, you can’t help but wonder, “Does this lack of attendance affect the women’s performances?” Could a larger crowd help make a difference? To help answer those questions, let’s see what a couple of the women athletes had to say.
“I think a big attendance could definitely improve performance and make athletes feel better and more supported,” said Baylee Vought, a sophomore on the Zips volleyball team. “It also brings more energy.”
Vought is not alone in these thoughts.
“I would definitely benefit from a larger crowd,” said Katie Baumer, a freshman on the Zips lacrosse team. “Having more people in attendance at our games would motivate me and make me feel very supported.”
If more fans in attendance could lead to a better performance from the players, then what needs to change?
“I would like to see more women’s sports being funded, advertised, and supported as much as the men’s sports,” said Vought. “We work very hard to be good and represent our school well.”
As the academic year is winding down, we can look to the future, where the opportunities for the growth of women’s sports are endless. With the right amount of support, things could drastically change, and women could finally get the respect they deserve.
As we look into the years ahead you can’t help but wonder, “Will things be different, or will they continue to stay the same?” The answer: only time will tell.
