I’ve been on the basketball team and experienced the power of the fan section for four years now. There is nothing more fun than playing in front of a sold out gym with a bunch of crazy high school kids cheering for you. At DGN our fan section is called N-zone and they are the ones responsible for getting people pumped before and during the games. They come up with a bunch of chants and get the whole crowd into the game.

For me, having a huge crowd cheering for you in a game is a huge advantage when playing an opponent. The term “home field advantage” comes from having a crowd on your side. This is why having home field advantage is so sought after when it comes to sports. It brings energy to the players that usually leads to the team playing better. It doesn’t always mean you are going to win every game if you have a huge crowd but it does give that slight advantage that can help some teams win big games.

One of the greatest feelings for a basketball player is making a shot or going up and dunking a basketball and the entire crowd goes nuts for what you just did. To know that a crowd of about 500 people are cheering for you is something special. I’ve experienced this feeling a couple times and it is something I try to experience every game I play.

The reason we are able to experience this is because N-zone does such a good a job bringing people to the game to cheer on the Trojans.

Some might say that the fan section does too much and shouts chants that are rude the players on the other team or bring props that damage the gym for example silly string or confetti. Even though this can sometimes be true, the fan section has no bad intentions. Some chants might be rude but they say them to get into the player’s head and distract him from the game. These chants are big when the opponent is shooting free throws. The props they bring are also in good intentions because it is something that further entices the fan section to be more crazy and have more energy.

Overall, having a big fan section can have a part in a home team winning a game and losing a game. Coming out and cheering for you local high school should be encouraged by students, parents and even teachers. Not only is fun to participate in but it creates life long memories for players to cherish their entire lives.