Pitt sports fans should look beyond the Pete

When I arrived to cover the gymnastics meet against Rhode Island last Saturday, there were… When I arrived to cover the gymnastics meet against Rhode Island last Saturday, there were only a few available seats.

That puzzled me. I figured I had underestimated how popular the sport really was with the school. However, after talking to some people around me, I realized these students were not really fans at all.

“My friend is in charge of the breast cancer awareness program and gets credit for every full seat, so we figured we’d come and help her out,” explained a student behind me.

That made sense. The Fitzgerald Field House was decked out in pink balloons, and the gymnasts all had pink ribbons in their hair to support the “Think Pink: Target the Cure” day.

The student’s remark about filling the seats reminded me of something I heard a day earlier. One of my friends was going to a wrestling match with an ulterior motive in mind. She told me that if her organization, the Pittsburgh Dance Ensemble, went to the Michigan State match and cheered the loudest out of all of the other participating Pitt groups in attendance, they would receive $300 toward their program.

There is nothing like $300 to convince a group of college students to be cheerleaders for a few hours.

Once I looked into it, I realized there were a lot of efforts being put forth to increase school spirit and attract students to the sporting events – such as gymnastics and wrestling – that usually do not get as much of the spotlight.

A perfect example would be the “Pack the Pete” event for the women’s basketball team. This event – an annual happening since the beginning of the Agnus Berenato era – was organized to encourage students and families to come support the Panthers in the Providence game.

Game day included all kinds of attractions, from stilt walking to face painting. A group of my friends went to it because they had nothing better to do. Turned out it was a good move: They loved it and have closely followed the women’s team ever since.

Let’s face it, Pitt has no problem filling the stands for the men’s basketball games, but when was the last time any of you headed up to Trees Pool to attend a swimming and diving meet?

Exactly! Meanwhile, the men’s swimming and diving team is definitely one of the most talented teams we have here at Pitt. They have a great record (7-1 overall) and swimmers and divers who are quickly gaining recognition all over the country.

As I watched the gymnastics meet, I immediately became captivated by what these women could do. They were extremely strong and more toned than most of us could ever dream of being, yet they were graceful throughout their routines. I was in awe of their talent and actually had fun. And I wasn’t alone -many of the other people that went for reasons other than actually watching the meet enjoyed it just as much.

The students behind me, the ones who only came to support their friend’s program, kept commenting on how they knew nothing about gymnastics and never realized how much work it really is. We all watched as they gracefully worked the beam, and held our breath during every difficult flip and turn. Afterwards, I talked to other students who were first-time gymnastics supporters, and many planned on coming to the next home meet.

The bottom line is that I went to the meet because I had to, but I – along with many others – will definitely go back because I want to. I now have a greater appreciation for a sport that I never really gave a chance.

So, whatever your reason may be, I encourage you to check out what some of these less acknowledged Pitt teams have to offer.

Chances are you will really enjoy it.

Erin Castellano is a staff writer for The Pitt News. E-mail her at emc29@pitt.edu, or just look for her at Pitt sporting events.