Everyone heard about it from classmates, players, or the coach—the crowd at the first home game of the boy’s basketball season was a disappointment, to say the least.

Students probably already knew that there was not going to be a large turnout at the game, but the size of the crowd was an utter disappointment to Jason Eldredge, the school’s new Varsity basketball coach.

“I think people use WS’s decrepit condition as an excuse to not have school spirit,” said junior Nick Shidlovsky.

But shortly after Eldredge’s letter-to-the-editor appeared in The Oracle, there seemed to be a turnaround in the attendance.

At the second home game, the crowd took over the gym and there was barely room for someone who arrived late to find a seat.

“The team plays much better when the stands are packed and they are getting positive reinforcement from their peers,” said Eldredge.

The basketball team is not, however, the only group that performs better when there is more support.

“I know we perform better when there is a bigger crowd,” said junior Sarah Thompson, who is a member of the Dance Team.

Team members notice improvement on a personal level as well, not just in the team performance as a whole.

“I know I try hardest my hardest and perform my best when there is a bigger crowd, because I don’t want to disappoint,” junior basketball player Caleb Snow said, adding that he really enjoys this recent display of school pride.

Although the team has only won one game this season, fans know that Spartan Pride involves more than racking up the W’s.

“I just recently started going to the basketball games and the upbeat crowd we have had lately is really fun to be a part of; it makes me feel proud of my school,” said sophomore Andrew Garrison.

The team feeds off the energy of the crowd, something that Eldredge seems to live for. He has already earned the reputation of the dedicated basketball coach who is full of energy and always trying to pump up the crowd.

As the basketball season wraps up, it appears that Spartan Pride is coming back to 6100 Rolling Road.

“[I’m] really, really looking forward to going to more games to support our team and have a great time with my friends,” said Shidlovsky.