Picture yourself playing the sport you love, while sweating and playing your heart out on the field, court or track, only to look up and see the stands full of faithful fans cheering you on. How would that make you feel? Invincible, maybe?

“I always feel more motivated when I see my friends and family in the stands,” club baseball pitcher and second baseman, Anthony Alu, said. “I think school spirit is huge.”

Oakland University has a variety of sports teams ranging from university athletic sports, to club and intramural teams. No matter the type of sport being played, each athlete agrees upon one important aspect of the game: the power of the fans.

Basketball guard Nick Daniels said that he thinks the importance of school spirit is its ability to make or break a place’s atmosphere. He said the O’rena does not feel the same without the crowd rooting he and his team on.

“When I look up it’s amazing to see our student section really supporting us,” Daniels said.  “[It] brings joy to the team and make us want to perform well for them.”

First baseman and center-fielder, Kyre Rundell, finds school spirit extremely important, especially when a player is in a funk and having a bad game.

“I find having fans in the stands can also be beneficial for an individual player, especially when they are having a rough game,” Rundell said. “Having fans there to show you support when you’re having a rough game can help you pick your head up and start turning things around.”

Track athlete Bri Glanda says she does not believe any athlete would be able to perform well without the support of family, friends and peers cheering him or her on.

“Looking up and seeing our stands full just makes us want to perform to the best of our ability and make our school proud,” Glanda said. “I’m very proud to represent Oakland University as an athlete, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Basketball power forward Jalen Hayes describes school spirit as the sixth man out on the court. He says the energy being given off from the stands has a much bigger impact on their performance than people think. He thinks it can build a team up or tear it down.

“If it wasn’t for my peer’s school spirit, I would still love the game, but it wouldn’t be as fun without them,” Hayes said. “So when I’m able to look into the Grizz Gang and actually see a gang of loud, rowdy classmates or just friends in general, it makes the game that much more fun.”

The athletes are very fond of the support they have been receiving from peers, faculty, staff, family and friends and believe their ability to perform well has quite a bit to do with the love surrounding them during game time.