Cheering from the Sidelines

In the picture, the students at the side of the field are supporting their classmates at a sports event. They are seated on the grass in their coloured house T-shirts, holding handmade cardboard banners and small flags that they have made themselves. Behind them, other students stand watching the event. What I also noticed is that the banners look hand-painted rather than printed, so they must have prepared them in advance.

During last year's inter-class relay, my best friend was running the final leg and he was very nervous because he had dropped the baton during practice. I stood at the corner nearest to his lane so that he would see a familiar face as he came round, and I shouted his name the whole way. He did not win, but he kept hold of the baton and he told me afterwards that hearing someone call his name helped him stop panicking. I was quite proud of that.

Yes, I believe supporters make a real difference. When you are tired and want to slow down, hearing people shouting for you reminds you that others are watching and hoping for you, and that often gives you a little more effort than you thought you had. Support also matters after the result, because a team that loses to silence feels much worse than one that is still cheered as it walks off. That is why I feel supporters are part of the team even though they never touch the ball.