Ka Leo: Student Support Needed

Jason of the Tsaikos makes his Ka Leo debut with a great article about student support at UH football games.

Most people think there are three parts to a football team: offense, defense and special teams. But a collegiate football team is also made up of one other crucial unit - students in the stands.

About 36,000 spectators watched the Warrior football team in their first two home games of the 2008 season. Among the attendees were raucous Manoa Maniacs, who stood throughout the game while they cheered and clapped their thundersticks as the team's "12th man."

He goes on to list seven tips for his fellow students who make their way out to Aloha Stadium. Here's one of them:

5. Yell when appropriate.

Yelling at the top of your lungs is a great way to support the Warriors. But remember to do this only when the Warriors are on defense.

The purpose of making noise while the Warriors are on defense is to distract, confuse and intimidate the opponent's offense; likewise the noise can hurt the Warriors when they're on offense.

There's nothing wrong with cheering after a UH offensive play, especially if it's a big gain or a first down. But once the initial excitement of the play wears off, please be quiet to allow the players to communicate effectively.

They should make a pamphlet! Just hope that pamphlet isn't used to disobey tip #7:

7. Avoid the confetti.

Fans like to rip up game programs and newspaper to throw like confetti after big plays.