Coleman Cooper

As a young kid I loved to watch Husker football or listen to it on the radio. I’ve always been an invested fan. I think sports fans like me want the sports we are watching to reflect our own lives. When I’m watching football, I can remember doing tackling drills, or practicing plays. Sports are nostalgic for some people.

Even if you’ve never played the sport before, you can feel the drama, the tension that's happening on the court or the field. You’ll see the tension and the heartbreak and the love. It’s a beautiful thing. The beauty behind the teamwork, behind a team that makes a big win over a ranked opponent or the beauty of winning a Big Ten tournament. It's very revitalizing and energizing to be a part of that.

I was mostly just interested in Husker football when I first came to campus, but then I thought, our volleyball team is nationally acclaimed—let's go watch some good volleyball. My friends and I went to baseball games too, and even a tennis match. No matter what sport we saw we always had a good time. We had a really good experience realizing there’s more than just football to cheer for at Nebraska.

Now as an intern with Husker Athletics, I get to see two different sides of the sports experience—I've been the fan, and I’ve also been the person who puts on the show and makes sure we are providing a good experience for every fan. Everyone wants something different from a sporting event.

Some people go for the free items that we hand out! People go for the T-shirts, and some people go because they love watching the sport. The really big thing we try to do is make sure that there's something there for everybody.

Every fan is different, but every Husker sport has fans that are very passionate and excited to be there. Whether it's the grandparents who show up and take everything seriously, the types of fans who want to watch the game or the student fans that go for the social aspect. There are fans that know everything about the sport they are watching, and there are fans that don’t know what’s going on.

The atmosphere, it varies even depending on the sport. The men’s basketball atmosphere is different than the women's basketball atmosphere, which is not the same as the volleyball atmosphere.

It’s all about finding the atmosphere that you really love. At men's basketball games they always want you to be super loud and rowdy. It's just the vibe there. Last year I didn’t go to a women’s basketball game, but this year it has been my favorite sport. It's just such a fun atmosphere. The people are fun, and the coaching staff is phenomenal. Being in that situation and experiencing that by choosing a team to be “your” team is a great way to contribute as a student and feel more involved. 

If you don't like the atmosphere of one sport, don't write off all sports. Maybe you’ll find out that a different sport is really fun. Don’t give up, all the experiences are different, keep testing them out. I think as a student, you can just go to classes and do your work, go home, go to bed, wake up, do the same thing the next time. It would get stale very easily, so get out and attend some games. Sporting events are also a good way to make friends. Last year, I met two of my really good friends at a volleyball game. It’s a great way to get connected and be involved with campus. Sports can add color to the college experience and make it more complete.