Have you ever been to a girl’s sports game at Brunswick High School (BHS) and noticed the size of the crowd?

Now think about what the size of that crowd would be if it was a boys’ game. 

There is a visible difference between how boy’s and girl’s sports are promoted, publicized, and politicized at BHS and across the country. 

When watching professional sports, people mostly find themselves watching men’s sports. A poll at the University of Chicago shows 67% of fans attend men’s games at least occasionally compared to the 52% of fans that attend women’s games.

“I believe men’s sports receive more attention largely… For decades, boys and men had more opportunities to compete, build leagues, secure funding, and establish traditions,” a coach at Brunswick High School said.

At BHS, many student athletes have taken notice of the crowd differences between the boys’ and girls’ games. The majority of the girl’s varsity crowds are family members or close friends, while most varsity boy’s games have almost a whole student section. 

A poll at BHS shows that 90.9% of students said they have noticed a significant difference between the attention girls get versus the attention boys get in sports in high school. This can be due to the greater social media coverage, better attended games, and more frequent mention in daily announcements. 

77.3% of students at BHS attend boys’ games instead of girls’ games. Athletes from the school’s girls’ teams are forced to put up with the lack of support from students during their games. This lack of support can lead athletes to feel unimportant, and disconnected from their school.

CallieKendall Humphries, a sophomore at BHS shares how that lack of support feels.

“If there is barely anyone cheering for you, or caring about your team it will definitely bring down team morale because you feel like none of it matters,” Humphries said. 

BHS and other communities can help to promote both gender sports equally by giving girls’ teams the same encouragement and visibility as boys’ teams. Schools can highlight girls’ games more consistently in morning announcements, promote athletes equally on social media, and encourage students to attend both boys’ and girls’ events. Coaches, students, and staff can work together to create themed game nights or spirit inducement to draw larger crowds regardless of gender.

Supporting girls’ sports is not just about filing bleachers, but recognizing talent, dedication, and hard work equally. When students show up, cheer loudly, and treat every game as worth attending, they help create a stronger sense of school spirit, pride, and unity.

Equal support sends an important message that every athlete’s effort matters, no matter who is on the court or field.