Suggestion Box on how to boost Student Attendance & Enthusiasm at Games

[crusadermoe]

All great ideas.  The drum line is awesome at my daughter's high school!   Anything to create noise in the mausoleum.  (credit to Chris Berman.)

However, the game atmosphere is most influenced by the student enthusiasm.   That was the thread topic.   Simply put, the kids have to give a s&#t about the games at some point.  Can we (VU staff) force that?   

The only chance seems to be coordinated Greek effort.  Apparently at VU a system that ostensibly fosters leadership has none among its fraternities.

[VU2014]

All great ideas.  The drum line is awesome at my daughter's high school!   Anything to create noise in the mausoleum.  (credit to Chris Berman.)

However, the game atmosphere is most influenced by the student enthusiasm.   That was the thread topic.   Simply put, the kids have to give a s&#t about the games at some point.  Can we (VU staff) force that?   

The only chance seems to be coordinated Greek effort.  Apparently at VU a system that ostensibly fosters leadership has none among its fraternities.

Everything that happens with Greek Life starts and ends with the Dean of Students for Greek Life, Carrrie Whittier. Some would call her more of a dictator then a Dean... If the athletics department wants to coordinate with Greek Life it's going to have to go through her.

I'm not sure what the hell happened to Greek Life participation the last 2 years. It literally fell off a cliff and the ironic thing is 2 of the guys on the team are members of 2 different fraternities. Noticeably the Phi Psi's and Sig Eps are less active then they use to be. Somewhere along the way the culture of going to games was lost in Greek Life.

[crusadermoe]

Since when would a single fraternity or two need to clear a plan to go to a game together?    Where are the cohones?....and an IFC?    What the ?     

And yes......now that you say it.....the student enthusiasm did dive off last year as well as this one.   

Not to beat a dead horse, but the lousy student turnout last year shows that the student problem has NOTHING to do with the team performance!    Yes, the loyal town fans were probably down due to the team record.   But the students deserted Alec last year. 

[NativeCheesehead]

Attitude reflects leadership.

[usc4valpo]

We should invite Bill Walton to do a game at the ARC, where he can discuss the brilliance of Chapel architecture, the genius of Ginger Zee in her weather analysis and where Raoul Duke had an herbal gathering at the old TKE house.

[VULB#62]

Illinois State has a drum line but they also have a Marching Band that they bring out for the football games. Having a marching band at a school as small as Valparaiso might not make financial sense, because I'm guessing it requires scholarships. If they could figure out a way to bring back the marching band here without having to give out many scholarships, would be cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0irxrHJ89M

Butler has a marching band that plays at all home football  games.  Valpo used to have a full marching band in the 60s. As I recall they were pretty good too.

[VU2014]

Butler has a marching band that plays at all home football  games.  Valpo used to have a full marching band in the 60s. As I recall they were pretty good too.

I became curious and started looking into it. Butler offers a "Credit & Tuition Reduction" for all members of the pep band. I think Valpo could benefit from something similar: "Marching Band counts as a core Physical Well Being (PWB) requirement and comes with a $100 tuition remission for each semester of participation. The band rehearses 6 hours per week and is a welcome break from the academic day for students of nearly every academic discipline."

https://www.butler.edu/bands/ensembles

[talksalot]

The students seemed to enjoy the 3-point shooting contest for the "Championship" at the senior night... why didn't we have all of the preliminary rounds leading up to that championship?   Put up the "Bracket" ... follow your fraternity / Sorority / ResHall friend going through the bracket...

just a suggestion

[VU2014]

The students seemed to enjoy the 3-point shooting contest for the "Championship" at the senior night... why didn't we have all of the preliminary rounds leading up to that championship?   Put up the "Bracket" ... follow your fraternity / Sorority / ResHall friend going through the bracket...

just a suggestion

Love that idea.

[usc4valpo]

I remember the Butler Band in the early 80s. They were fun to watch- sort of like Stanford but not vulgar.

[vu72]

I saw this posted on Facebook by Larry Mowry, ABC weather anchor in Chicago.  I thought it really tells a story about how Valpo basketball was embraced at the THE SHOT.  Could it come back via winning again?  A great post by Larry.

Larry Mowry ABC7 shared CBS Sports's video.
47 mins ·
It was 20 years ago today that I saw a "miracle" ... according to the announcer!

I was a Sophomore at Valparaiso University. Eight of us piled into our friends mini-van and road tripped to Oklahoma City to watch Valpo in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

We were sitting about 10 rows up from the court on the other side of the key from where Bryce made "The Shot". I remember when the ball was in the air. It was almost like slow motion with everyone in the building holding their breath. Then the ball went thru the net and it was pure joy. We were sitting with the small contingent from Valpo that made the trip. I remember looking around our section as everyone was hugging anyone that was within reach and jumping non-stop. Many people were crying, pure emotional joy. It was Valpo's first win in the NCAA tournament after coming very close in the previous years.

Valpo is such a special place because of its size and sense of community. I can name pretty much every player and cheerleader who jumped on that pile at the end of the game. They were friends and classmates.

The story got even better because two days later we beat Florida State and made it to the Sweet 16.

For our group that piled in our friends minivan, we had no place to stay after that first win. So we drove from Oklahoma City to Dallas to crash on the floor of a friends house. Then we drove back to Oklahoma City for the second round game against Florida State. After we won that game, we drove all the way back to Valparaiso so we could make it to class the next day. Truth be told, there wasn't much learning going on that week at Valpo with the excitement of the basketball team.

This was a time when mid-major schools didn't beat the big guys like they do now. So this was huge. Media from around the country and world were setting up on campus to tell the story. And what a story it was.

[VULB#62]

And the momentum described in this account.......   

[VUGrad1314]

All I can think is if only we had the current AD and  administration during the time of "the shot." For whatever shortcomings many on here think they have, I have no doubt they would have done a better job capitalizing on that momentum than the folks in charge back then. Oh, to be given another chance to have a moment and opportunity like that.

[NativeCheesehead]

I think that's a very unfair characterization of the former administration, both AD and Prez. I won't argue the point that we should have done more after the sweet sixteen run. We absolutely should have. But it was Bill Steinbrecher who hired Homer Drew. Without that hire where would the program be? ML has done a great job, but without his predecessor there might not have been a DI program to take over.

And sure, Harre wasn't big on athletics, but at least you know where he stood. And let's not forget the money to build all of Heckler's projects was there because Harre was a tremendous fundraiser. Go look at the endowment before and after his tenure. And Heckler can talk all he wants about athletics, and yet the ARC looks pretty much the same.

Don't get me wrong. All four of these men have been great leaders for this university, but let's be very careful on making broad characterizations of what people will or would have done outside of the context of their time.

  http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/retiring-vu-athletic-director-william-steinbrecher-leaves-a-legacy-of/article_856030f4-d7c1-57dc-877f-23def15e82a3.html

[VU2014]

Wasn't William Steinbrecher the AD that kept us in the old Mid-Con because his son was the commissioner of the Mid-Con? I remember someone mentioning that there was a potential case of nepotism from someone in the VU administration. I heard we had the chance to leave for the Horizon League earlier but someone was trying to keep us in the Mid-Con because their son was the commissioner. That is a pretty serious claim and could have set the athletics department back for years.

It looks like a Dr. Jon Steinbrecher (Valparaiso University graduate) was the commissioner of the Mid-Con and resigned from his position back in 2003 and became the commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference. Now Jon Steinbrecher is the longtime commissioner of the MAC, which is a big step up because it has FBS football.

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/steinbrecher-resigns-from-mid-con-post/article_4ad228af-4d42-507c-9b57-d66cabeccb9d.html

[usc4valpo]

2014 - I am sure  there was some level of nepotism for Valpo to stay in the Mid Con. However, from a discussion I had with Rod Moore back in mid 90s, there was serious animosity when UWM, UIC, Wright St., and UWGB moved from the Mid Con to the Horizon in a rapid and "unethical" manner and pretty much left Valpo and the Mid Con dry of teams. I believe Valpo wanted nothing to do with the Horizon league for awhile. also, I think Valpo came to realize the business and direction that is NCAA basketball.

[valpotx]

He absolutely had a lot to do with Valpo staying in the Mid-Con, as he felt slighted by the move that you reference (since he was a founder of the Mid-Con), but his son also played into it, regardless of what anyone else might tell you.  He set his son up well, as who knows what would have happened to that conference if we also left.

[FWalum]

Wasn't William Steinbrecher the AD that kept us in the old Mid-Con because his son was the commissioner of the Mid-Con? I remember someone mentioning that there was a potential case of nepotism from someone in the VU administration. I heard we had the chance to leave for the Horizon League earlier but someone was trying to keep us in the Mid-Con because their son was the commissioner. That is a pretty serious claim and could have set the athletics department back for years.

It looks like a Dr. Jon Steinbrecher (Valparaiso University graduate) was the commissioner of the Mid-Con and resigned from his position back in 2003 and became the commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference. Now Jon Steinbrecher is the longtime commissioner of the MAC, which is a big step up because it has FBS football.

http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/college/steinbrecher-resigns-from-mid-con-post/article_4ad228af-4d42-507c-9b57-d66cabeccb9d.html

Yes to much of what you have said, others not so much. Valpo was just emerging to the upper third of the Mid-Con when the conference looked like it was going to implode because of the enmasse exodus of Cleveland State, UIC, NIU, Green Bay, Milwaukee and Wright State to the Horizon, leaving Valpo behind and new commissioner Jon Steinbrecher with the huge task of trying to keep their NCAA eligibility.  This was a tough pill for the Steinbrecher's to swallow and now that it appeared we could dominate in basketball the administration was not all that eager to leave. I believe that the father son relationship played some role in us staying in the Mid-Con, but that its influence was overblown.  Of maybe more importance was the relationships between Valpo and the 5 remaining schools that bolted in "94".  The administration finally conceded that the travel costs in both time and money were too high and then the much talked about "special" membership agreement was put together with the Horizon.  This is completely my "take" on the situation from conversations I had with President Harre and others when I was on the Alumni Board.

[VUGrad1314]

Something important to keep in mind here. Maybe we have been guilty of this; and if we have been, I pray it's not too late to fix it.

https://twitter.com/EricPMusselman/status/977610964525707265

[VUGrad1314]

But not exactly serving as the best student section leaders we've ever seen... It almost sounds like he's taking credit for Loyola's accomplishment just because their coach granted him an interview.

https://twitter.com/happeninghoops/status/977727463840276480

[NativeCheesehead]

Apparently it's hard to create your own media brand AND come up with fresh ideas to get your fellow students to games.

[VUGrad1314]

Yeah when the students show up and are engaged... Right section leaders?

https://twitter.com/happeninghoops/status/978311316342493184

[M]

The ARC was an above average environment maybe twice last year.

[crusadermoe]

Back to the topic.   Who the hell is Carrie Whittier in the bigger scheme of Greek Life interaction with focusing on the dates of basketball games. 

Again, leadership starts at the top.   She is only as powerful as the enabling she gets from those above her.  Bureaucrats really annoy me.

[crusadermoe]

We need to hear on this board from a couple of leaders of the fraternities.  How will things be different next year?   And if not, why not?