Captains’ Corner | Vice Captain, Ben Chatwood
One of my favourite aspects of the culture at Terrace is the support the community generates around sporting and cultural events. Some of my greatest memories have been in the stands performing war cries or, in more recent times, hearing the war cries screamed down on a team I am playing in.
While COVID has had an adverse impact on the entire world, the most significant difference that I have experienced has been the depleted number of supporters at sporting and cultural events. While this loss is not nearly as catastrophic as the other affects the virus has had, I have witnessed the stark comparison between hundreds of supporters to none.
I have been lucky enough to play for the 1st Volleyball team this year and last year (although most of my career has been warming the bench), and this is where I have seen the largest difference due to COVID. The sea of red and black played a huge part in how the players performed; they cheered our highs and gave us the support to get us through our lows. This was demonstrated in the Terrace vs Churchie game last year, where we bounced back from 0-2 to 3-2, mainly due to the unwavering and enthusiastic support we received throughout the game. There is no better feeling than having your mates cheer you on.
In comparison, this year, we have had no supporters except for the two parents/caregivers allowed per player. While some support is better than none, nothing beats hearing passionate cheering during your game. While the decreased numbers of supporters are detrimental to the atmosphere, the bench has stepped up their efforts to motivate the team as they are now the only cheer squad the players get.
You may be reading this thinking, “Ben, this is cool and all, but why are you telling me this?” And the reason is to demonstrate that while supporters still cannot attend games or cultural events, there are still several ways to support your mates and the College. Something that I have appreciated recently is my friends watching the live streams of the games and having a chat about it afterwards, no matter how small the conversation may be. For the younger boys who may not have friends or a buddy in a firsts squad, they can show their support by performing well in their own games, as a win at the start of the day in the 7Cs sets the benchmark for the day and keeps the momentum for the rest of the program. On top of this, all boys can make an effort to attend the Gorilla Gatherings as this term it is their only chance to cheer their mates on. This year, with limited supporters allowed at most events, the Terrace community must Answer the Call by showing support in whatever way they can.