Perhaps they didn’t leave. Maybe there is just less interest in JC sports. It’s not the money, with admission prices at $5 for general admission and $3 for students.

Compared to the rising price of gas and food, SRJC game tickets cheap. You go to a movie and it costs you $10 for two hours. You go to a JC football game, it costs half that much for two hours.

The JC has been consistently competitive in all sporting events, making the playoffs almost every year. So if it’s not the price, or bad teams, then why aren’t students going to games?

SRJC is notorious for turning out Division One athletes in all sports. Tyler Tiedemann played on the basketball team and now is at Boise State. Scott Ware was on the JC football team and went on to play at USC and won a national title.

Johnny Gomes went to the JC and is now playing with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Even our coaches are going on to bigger things after the JC. Coach James Graham now coaches water polo at University of Pacific. Jack Curley played under Graham and is now at Pepperdine University. Katie Franci was on the women’s basketball team and now plays at Humboldt State.

When you go to a JC sporting event you are getting up-and-coming athletes who are a step away from playing at the next level. The JC has not only produced all these athletes, they are also competitive in a vast range of sports.

High school and college sporting events are a major source of income. The JC has mainly returning students who here just for education and not extracurricular activities and students are only here for two years. It is easy to miss games because of work, or prior arrangements.

I, too, am at fault. I have only been to one football game and three basketball games since attending the JC, and the only reason I went to the basketball games was to write about them. Don’t get me wrong, I love going to games but for one reason or another I just haven’t been able to see as many games as I would have liked. In high school I hardly ever missed a game; if it was tennis or baseball, I was there.

The football game against Reedley drew a crowd of about 300, according to officials. It was a very exciting game, with lots of offense. Other sports don’t do so well. Volleyball brings in about 100 and soccer draws 75-150, depending on if it’s a big game. Basketball is always in contention in the Big 8 but only brings about 200 fans for home games.

I am challenging all you sports fans at the JC to go a game this year. Not just one game, go to a volleyball match or a water polo game. You could learn something about those sports you have never seen before. Water polo doesn’t even charge admission, it’s free. Who knows, you could have a good time and want to do it again.

 Print  EMAIL

Leave a Reply