By Nathan Deen
Published on October 24, 2007
For the past few years, Paul Swanson, head coach of the PJC men’s basketball team, has been trying to raise school spirit by establishing a fan club for PJC athletics. After an unsuccessful attempt at creating this club a couple of years ago, Swanson is going to try again and make as many improvements as possible. This fan club has been given the official title The Crow’s Nest.
Swanson is trying to develop that true college atmosphere, or something close to it, one can find at a Duke University home basketball game. He wants students to be more enthusiastic about PJC athletics, and he wants them to attend as many home games as possible to provide support for his team.
“It’s designed to get people to come to games, have fun, get a little crazy, cheer, like you see at every major college,” Swanson said. “We’re looking for that sixth man.”
The Crow’s Nest is essentially a membership club that is free to all full-time PJC students. To join, students will need to sign up at the basketball office in the Lou Ross Center or the PJC Bookstore, which is the official sponsor of the Crow’s Nest.
Swanson above all else wants to reward members for attending games so they will continue to attend. All members will receive a membership card that can be used for discounts at local eating areas such as Shirley’s Deli, Just in Thyme Deli and the concession stand at the Lou Ross Center. Swanson hopes that in the future, these benefits will expand to other local restaurants.
The Crow’s Nest also uses a point system to determine who is the most diehard Pirate fan on campus. According to the Crow’s Nest eligibility and contest rules, members will receive two points for every home game attended and four points for every road game attended. A member will get additional points for other students who sign up under them and attend games. Members must sign in at each game with the club coordinator by showing their membership card and student ID to receive points. After the fifth home game attended, members will receive a free tee-shirt. Whichever member has the most points by the end of the year will receive a $250 discount on books for the next semester. Second place will receive a $150 discount and third place will receive a $100 discount.
To further his goal of making The Crow’s Nest a fun experience, Swanson said that members will be eligible for halftime contests such as three-point shootouts. The cheerleading and dance team will also judge a face/body paint contest to determine the wildest fan of that particular game. Each winner will receive a free pizza. Swanson also wants the students to get involved in pre-game activities such as pep rallies and tailgate parties.
Bill Hamilton, PJC athletic director and head coach of the of the baseball team, has the final say on the approval of The Crow’s Nest, and he is equally excited about it. However, he is concerned about history repeating itself.
Hamilton says that the first time the athletic department tried to create a fan club, it “started out on fire but lost steam as the season went along.”
Hamilton wants to make sure that this year’s Crow’s Nest will keep students’ interest.
“We’re trying to create some more incentive to overcome whatever road blocks that there are. We think we’ve got a better idea of what will work this time.”