Athletes:
Tess Reid– Women’s Volleyball (Sophomore)
Courtesy of LMULions.com
Maddie Medved– Women’s Soccer (Senior)
Courtesy of LMULions.com
Dannie Nunez– Cross Country (Junior)
Courtesy of LMULions.com
Erik Johansson– Men’s Basketball (Sophomore)
Courtesy of LMULions.com
With our fall sport season kicking off mid-season, I’ve decided to explore a part of campus that seems to be foreign to most students on campus outside the athletic department- sports. Yes, we know they exist and yes, we may be friends with several athletes, but how many of us go to their games, make posters or even simply ask how their game went over the weekend.
Now, I’m going to be honest – I wasn’t huge on supporting sports nor football games during my high school career, though I did participate in two sports up until my sophomore year. And once I arrived at LMU, I wasn’t exactly the most avid advocate for the sports on campus because I didn’t believe it was as important to my integration into the school’s culture. And it may be safe to say that many other students felt the same.
However, for some reason, in America, one’s athletic capabilities are glorified and especially in Southern California in the 21st century, hitting the gym to get those gains or tone up those abs are priorities at the top of our to-do list. Yet, at LMU, there seems to be a deviation from that appreciation in regard to our college athletes. Yes, we will say “hi” to them along palm walk if we know them from our classes or maybe chat up some conversation if we know them better as frequent visitors to their parties at the back gates.
So what causes that divide- is it perspective? Preference? Status? During a recent Meet and Greet with some of our athletes, I got their take on the Student Athlete experience and NARP mentality.
How does being a college athlete affect your college experience?
Erik: For me, I couldn’t picture going to college without being an athlete. It’s an amazing experience. You get a lot of really good friends that will last you a lifetime.
Tess: I think that you create a really great experience with the student athletes. I think it’s really special and unique, especially at LMU because it’s a small school. We all get really close and we all really support each other and other teams.
Maddie: Time management is hard. You have a whole four hours of the day where you can’t do what normal students would do. You have less free time and less time for jobs. But there’s a lot of benefits too. I get these women I get to hang out with every day. It’s like a family here and that’s probably my favorite part. It’s hard, but I wouldn’t change it.
Dannie: It’s easy to know what athletics is like when it’s at its high. But being an athlete at its low makes you really understand how privileged we are and how what we do can impact the people around us. But I am really happy that I’m at LMU and I’m able to make an actual impact, not just in athletics- it’s an important part of me, but also small in the scheme of everything else in my life too. My recruiting class was also very close- every day at 6:15 we would get dinner together- we’re really, really close. I am an only child, so this is the closest thing I have to siblings. At the end of the day everyone is there to support each other.
How much is your life dictated by your sport?
Erik: My life- it’s like 80% and the rest is sleeping and my girlfriend.
Tess: 90% of the time I’m with my team.
Maddie: I wanna say 70%. The rest is school, relationships, TV.
Dannie: Running is so much a part of my life but at the same time it’s just another thing I do. It is so interwoven in my life it’s hard to find how much time I do spend.
What sport do you wish you could play/were better at?
Erik: Soccer
Tess: Break-dancing
Maddie: Volleyball
Dannie: I would love to be a better runner. Once you get to this competitive level, everyone’s fast. So sometimes it can be a little disheartening because in high school, you’re probably a big fish in a little pond and here you’re a really little fish. Honestly, I would work to get to that Olympic status.
If you weren’t a student athlete, where would your life be?
Erik: Back home in Sweden.
Tess: I would take time to travel everywhere and anywhere
Maddie: I don’t know where I would be honestly. It’s been my whole life and my first priority my whole life.
Dannie: I think if I had done it a little differently, I think I would be at USC. I definitely went through a really rough patch with running. But now I’m very happy with my decision and now I’m SAC president.
How prominent do you think the NARP culture is like on campus? Does it exist?
Erik: I think it is up to every individual on whether you want to associate with athletes or not. I think that I would hope that people show up to our games and become more involved because we would really appreciate it. I think the whole atmosphere on campus is really- it’s a good one, a positive one.
Tess: I totally see that and I see that a lot with the separation between athletes and non-athletes. It wasn’t like that in high school. We are so busy with our sport that we don’t know what’s going on outside athletics. But at the end of the day, we are all lions.
Maddie: I don’t think LMU in general is exclusive like that, but at the same time it’s not “they’re a NARP, I don’t want to hang out with them.” It’s the people that you know. I don’t even hang out with anyone outside of my team- it’s their schedule and a lot in common, obviously. I think it’s more convenience rather than I don’t want to hang out with them. I’m a senior and I wish I had better relationships with non-athletes.
Dannie: People in Greek life, they love Greek life and they can’t imagine their life without that. Personally, I can’t imagine my life without running or without my teammates. When people are in their own bubble they see it and the aspects of what they’re doing. I definitely think athletics needs to work on reaching out to people.
Do you think there is a division between athletes and regular students and is there a status associated with that?
Erik: I think there is a perception of that. I don’t think athletes think that way. That’s not true. We are just regular people who play a sport.
Tess: I can’t speak on behalf of non-athletes, but I was surprised to hear in our [residence hall] that people were afraid to speak to us. [I think some people] can’t associate because the disconnect of ideas people have of each other.
Maddie: It’s really a convenience thing. It’s not really any bitterness, at least on our side. It’s just other athletes know what we’re going through. Now that I think about it more though I feel like my classmates, especially now that I’m older and have been in the same classes with the same people, I feel like a lot of the classmates have already grown relationships… whereas I feel like an outsider in my classes.
I feel like LMU as a whole people just aren’t into the sports as much. Maybe because we don’t have huge successes like other schools yet.
(Note: yet being the operative word and interests can change)
Dannie: I don’t think it’s as big of a thing either as a Big West school. I think LMU is unique in that sense, but it definitely is [still there]. It’s one of those things where you don’t see it until it’s right in your face. I feel like if we had more school spirit that divide would diminish. I think we need to encourage people to go to stuff because you’ll come to support your friends, your school. I think that invitation is important. I think that personal connection is what will change athletics.
So, what’s our takeaway here? Well, a lot can be done on both parts and there’s a lot to say about the misconceptions that continue to exist, perpetuating the implicit segregation amongst our athletes and our NARPS. I mean the fact there’s a term such as NARPS is something in itself.
Yes, we may not be able to skip class for a valid reason nor do we get sleek new gear repping our university name, but we do get a sense of pride in having representation in competition with other schools. And when it comes down to it, there’s a lot going on once our peers change out of their jerseys and walk off the field or the court that we don’t know about. We all struggle as students, but don’t we have an obligation to understand others’ unique experiences, permitting that knowledge to deepen our bonds rather than build up our bias?
Overall, I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot can be done on both sides. Our athletes can encourage not only friends, but athletes and every day peers to support events, especially if there’s free food involved, advertising schedules on social media or having mini rallies through campus on game days. But we can also do some things to be a part of their world as well, since so much of their lives involve their sports and a lot of the division exists within personal perceptions toward student athletes, who we sometimes forget are still our peers.
So, here’s my proposition: sports serve as an element of a school’s culture that can serve as a prominent source of school spirit. In other words, it’s a great way to boost morale.
Yes, multiple schools with prominent athletic programs often have a strong party culture in association with games that create a party environment, encouraging students to engage in school spirit as a part of the college social experience. For LMU, our sports may not define the school spirit culture, but our spirit could contribute to our athletic program by showing support to encourage some wins. Just think about it, if your parents hardly attended your events in high school, you would value the times that they did, feeling a boost in morale that could increase your performance. So, LMU, it’s time for us to be the parents in this scenario- be the inspiration that inspires excellent performance. However, win or lose, let’s be the parents that believe in their children no matter the outcome.
Let’s be the 49ers fans and SF Giants fan that still wear Bay area merch, though they are well aware they are repping. But at the same time, let’s be the fans that go all out at a USC tailgate and host watch parties during the Superbowl. Bottom line: LET’S SHOW SUPPORT!
LMU doesn’t necessarily have the same school spirit and culture as big schools with established tradition and an incredible crowd following, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take an hour of our week to raise our voice in the stands and make some noise for our fellow peers. A win comes from both sides- from the spirit of the fans and the passion of the players, where the “W” comes
Just like Tess said, at the end of the day, WE ARE ALL LIONS!