The Providence Day varsity basketball team is arguably the most popular team on the Providence Day campus, and during their games it shows. When the team has a home game, the stands are packed with parents, college coaches, and mostly screaming students dressed up in whatever the designated theme for that game is. Providence Day’s student section has one of the most notorious reputations in the state for being loud and hostile, but sometimes they may go too far. There is no doubt that the PDS student section has the ability to get in an opposing player's head and give the home team a great advantage, but is targeting opposing team's players too much for a high school basketball game?
The Charger had a chance to talk to starting guard on the basketball team Kyle Wood about the effects of the student section. Wood said,“our fans are great, and they really do help us. When you have fans cheering for you, it gives you energy and momentum, and our record shows how much they help us at home. We’ve only lost one game at home in the past two years.”
Although the student section helps the team, there is a negative aspect as well. The Providence Day student section is both famous and infamous, the PDS fans before games turn around, and yell “s*cks”, after each player is announced from the opposing team.
Last season, when Providence Day played conference rival, Cannon, Jarius Hamilton, who holds an offer from UNC Chapel Hill, was shooting a free throw right in front of UNC’s head coach Roy Williams. When it was dead silent in the gym, somebody from the Providence Day student section shouted, ”UNC doesn’t want you anymore” at Jarius Hamilton, and he proceeded to air ball the free throw right in front of Roy Williams. Which helped out the team because every point matters in a conference game.
Four years ago at Charlotte Christian, Providence Day was up by a lot, and the student section chanted, “this is our house,” and the Christian student section said, “this is God's house,” then PD chanted back,”say your prayers.” Also this season at Charlotte Christian, the Providence Day fans chanted “Evolution” at the Christian team and students. These instances shine a bad light on the PDS faithful.
Some of the events described above may seem to go too far, and in flagrant violation of the often broken NCISAA sportsmanship guidlines. Although these guidlines exist, they are frequentley broken by most schools in the confrence. Providence Day is in the Charlotte Independent School Athletic Association, and this organization has set forth the following guidelines for student behavior:
NCISAA sportsmanship guidelines
-No props are allowed for either home or the visiting team…
-Spectators are asked to sit in their designated area when possible and encouraged to cheer enthusiastically for their team, but not against any opposing players, coaches, and/or officials. Individual players are never to be identified by name or by number.
-At the conclusion of each game, students should not rush the court or field and need to remain in the bleachers or stands.
The Charger sat down with one of the leaders of the student section, Jack Fletcher, and he had some interesting thoughts about those rules. He said,”I don't think we do anything inappropriate; we have targeted specific players, but in sports everyone faces and takes criticism, so players should expect fans to single them out.” He went on to state,”I don't think it's fair that an athletic director can make rules that restrict what we can do to an extent. No profanity is fair, but singling out players should be allowed and the use of props or other objects should be fine as long as they don't interfere with the game.”
"I think most coaches and athletic directors would die to have the spirit that our students have..." Gordon Bynum
Gordon Bynum is the Upper School dean of students at Providence Day school, he goes to every game, and he has the most clout with the student section. The Charger was able to ask Bynum about his thoughts on the student sections’ behavior. He stated that,”I think it’s natural for teenagers to kinda push the limit (on what is appropriate), but whenever that line has been crossed and I'm like hey stop, the kids do, and they're respectful.”
The Charger also asked Bynum about the reputation of the student section:”I don't think we have a bad reputation. I think there are schools that are jealous in a way that we have such a loud and energetic spirit section. I think most coaches and athletic directors would die to have the spirit that our students have, have students show up in the numbers that we do, and being as loud, and creative, and spirited, and I think it's awesome.”
Overall the “in house” opinions on the PDS student section are a net positive. Occasionally they may do something that goes too far, but in general as Jack Fletcher would put it, the section is “loud, rowdy, and rambunctious.”
Pack The Mac: The Providence Day Student Section
By Jake Steiner
Do the PDS fans go too far?
Photo of cheering fan courtesy of @ChargersPDS on Twitter
Photo of Student section cheering during a big game courtesy of @K_W_III on Twitter
Photo of PDS students cheering courtesy of @Section_Goals_ on Twitter
The Charger, March 2017
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