Thirty seconds remain on the clock in a tie game. The quarterback, dressed in green and white, launches a spiraling pass into the endzone. It’s Caught. “Touchdown!!” The speakers blare. The players, cheering, pivot toward the stands to celebrate, but instead of a vibrant sea of green and gold cheering with them, they are met with rows of empty metal bleachers. 

     Recently, there has been a decline in the number of fans who attend Chargers sports games, despite many teams’ success. Today, all that seems to fill the bleachers are excuses, ranging from “too much work” to “too boring.”    

     For many students, the choice to skip a game isn’t necessarily about lack of school spirit, but about survival.

     “Schoolwork,” senior Ella Cash said. “It consumes my life. Most nights, I’m spending over four hours on homework, making me go to bed late every night.”

     Cash is far from alone. In a survey of Upper School students, 72.5 percent reported that they don’t go to games because they’re too busy navigating academics and extracurriculars. On top of that, the second most common reason, at 49 percent, was that nobody else goes.

     Beyond nightly homework, Shorecrest students face constant pressure to build competitive resumes. This student body is busier than ever before. 

     “I know that we have a lot of rigor at the school,” Assistant Athletic Director Richie Cameron said. “I know that one of the main things is that over the years, it seems like the student body is more scheduled, so it kind of takes away from the ability to have a large group in one particular space.”

     Since people are busy with their own activities, it makes it difficult to go and support their friends, especially at events not located on campus.

     Additionally, many sports outside of football and volleyball are often neglected. Shorecrest houses strong golf and swim teams, for example, but they often don’t get the recognition they deserve — especially when there’s no one in the stands.

     This lack of attendance is felt deeply by the athletes. While football and volleyball often draw large crowds, other athletes perform in silence.

     “All of us put in so much effort, and no one really gets to see the results of all the hard work that we put in,” senior swim and dive captain Maddox Matyas said. 

     Dedication goes both ways. Hearing fun cheers and seeing people in the stands helps give athletes motivation to do their best.

     Seeing this disconnect, the athletic department is trying to help encourage more people to attend games by adding new events.

     “We are always looking for ways to improve and discuss how we can make games more meaningful for students,” Cameron said. “We’re working on building a culture where we are finding new ways to incentivize people on and off campus to be a part of our community.”

     So far this year, the department has added spirit nights on various Fridays throughout the year, halftime competitions for Lower and Middle School students and teacher appreciation nights. 

     One such night, organized by varsity volleyball Head Coach Courtney Draper, invited faculty to be recognized alongside players. 

     “Teachers genuinely try to support our students in their whole life, which would include extracurricular activities. For the amount of hours that we practice, I want my players to know that their hard work pays off, and our staff and teachers see their hard work,” Draper said.

     Many student-athletes at Shorecrest put in long hours to perform well in their sports that often go unnoticed. These new events aim to connect the Shorecrest community and bring students and fans together to recognize athletes’ hard work.

    “I think it is a job that has to be done by everyone,” Cameron said. “It involves the students, parents and athletics. It’s not just one person who can solve this problem.”