Friday rolls around, and the anticipated boys’ varsity basketball game is only hours away. You can hardly wait to scream at the top of your lungs with your friends in a sea of red and black. As you walk in half an hour early to beat the expected crowds, the atmosphere is electric. Sweaty seniors are jumping up and down as the whole school echoes the electric chants. The bleachers are packed beyond its capacity, as your eager classmates spill into the stairwell. 

This overpopulated, intense and eccentric scene is not replicated at the girls’ basketball games, whose audience usually consists of loyal team parents, some student fans, the JV cheerleading team and younger kids. There is not the same attitude to show up early to get your ideal spot. Instead, you are welcomed by the lonely student section, banners above representing countless Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) titles, with no respective student population cheering beneath it. What is the real reason for this extreme difference in attendance?

Basketball aside, the student attendance at boys’

sporting events triumphs over the girls’ teams consistently. Robbie Morrow, a sophomore athlete, feels that boys’ games are more sought after than girls’ games. “Boys games in comparison [to girls games] are in a different league. The boys’ games feel more like a school-wide event.” His opinion is supported by the data. In the recent Redwood Bark Survey filled out by an even number of girls and boys, data found that 65 percent of students are more likely to attend a boys’ sport game, compared to 13 percent for girls and 22 percent for neither. 

Morrow additionally notes how program success can increase its popularity. “The boys’ [basketball] team is also usually very good which I think contributes to their student attendance,” Morrow said. Morrow’s claim is supported by the facts, as the boys’ team has brought home numerous MCAL titles, especially in recent years. However, it can’t go unnoticed that the girls’ team is doing the same and debatedly more. This year, girls’ basketball boasted an NCS victory, in addition to a narrow loss by three points in the 2024 CIF State girls’ basketball semi-final. This is a significant contrast to the boys’ season, who came up short in the MCAL finals and suffered a loss in the first round of the NCS playoffs. 

According to MaxPreps postseason stats, the boys’ basketball team ended being ranked #122 in California, and the girls’ team finished their season ranked #68 in California. While rankings don’t say everything and respective competition differs greatly, they provide a general idea of the skill level of the teams in the state. If rankings did determine student attendance, then the girls’ teams should be generating significantly more popularity amongst students. But despite the girls’ incredible success, they received little recognition or attendance during their deep playoff run. 

Another aspect differentiating the attendance in boys’ and girls’ sports is the game time. The girls’ games are usually at 6:00, compared to the boys’ playing regularly at 7:30. These times do not switch every other game. Students are busy after school, whether juggling homework, jobs, sports and everything else. It is more likely that a student will be free to attend a basketball game later in the evening, especially when the later games are a sought-after social event. 

Sophomore basketball star Kitty White can feel the indifference when playing. 

“In most games, the stands were pretty sparsely filled. The student section started with around 10 people, and by the end of the game, it was more than 45. But this is because the boys play after us,” White said.

Student attendance wouldn’t even matter if it didn’t affect the athlete’s mood. To be a student-athlete is nothing short of a silent struggle. Between morning practices and afternoon lifts, practices and games, you battle to complete all your assignments while securing enough sleep to wake up and do it the next day. This incarcerating cycle doesn’t even include the added pressure to succeed athletically, which often looks like significant work outside of practice. The non-stop work of student-athletes is rewarded by the community’s attendance and appreciation.

  “I feel the difference when the crowd is loud. It can be great motivation when the atmosphere is very energetic and spirited,” White said.

Other athletes at Redwood share White’s view on how crowds can impact the mood of the game, and help to be a motivation. Boys’ basketball player Leo Centeno shares a similar feeling about motivation. 

 “It’s always fun to play when people are watching. It feels like an added motivation to do your best,” Centeno said.

The data and student opinion overwhelmingly support the difference in attendance varying for boys to girls, but what has yet to be addressed is the true reason why it occurs in our sports community. It doesn’t have to do with the talent of the respective teams, as girls’ basketball dominates the league all while drawing in a fraction of the boys’ viewers. So, what is it about boys’ sports that have an amazingly larger audience pull?

“I believe that the boys’ [basketball] team is more popular because it is more interesting. With their height and speed, they just have more capabilities, such as dunking. You don’t see that in the girls’ games,” White said.

“I think advertising for girls’ sports could be better. The problem is that sometimes the girls’ sports aren’t talked about enough days before the game the way boys’ sports are,” Morrow said.

Ceneteno poses a similar perspective as Morrow. 

“Part of the reason I never see girls’ sports is that I never know when they are,” Centeno said. 

Girls’ sports games are publicized via Instagram, and occasionally on Redwood TV, just the same as the boys. However, they aren’t ever really made into a big school event the way boys’ games are. This past fall, boys’ basketball participated in “Game Night,” with the boys’ water polo team. This night was well publicized, from T-shirts to food vendors to posters decorating the halls for weeks prior. 

Morrow, who attended this event recalls it as “A fun night spent with friends cheering on the basketball team.” It’s a shame these event experiences aren’t replicated for the girls’ team. 

Regardless of the sport, both boys’ and girls’ teams are extremely talented, bringing home countless regional and state titles. Many hours of tedious practice and long afternoons of dedication, on top of schoolwork, shouldn’t go unnoticed by both girls and boys alike. As an engaged student at Redwood, it is vital to be a supportive viewer in all accomplished teams to help motivate athletes and create a strong community throughout the school. In conclusion, every time you see a poster in the hallway or hear an announcement on the loudspeaker encouraging the student body to attend everyone’s favorite boys’ sports team, be aware and remember your fellow female athletes who are working just as hard, possibly receiving higher titles with less recognition.