Aug. 16, 2009
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The South Carolina Athletic Department hosted its annual Fan Appreciation Day at Colonial Life Arena Sunday, and thousands of fans showed up to meet the coaches and players from the fall sports programs. The volleyball, cross country, football and men’s and women’s soccer teams, along with the cheer squad and Cocky, signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans in what has become one of the signature events of late summer in Columbia.
The feeling of excitement began well before the doors opened at 12:30 p.m. as hundreds of fans lined up outside the doors to earn the honor of being the first to get their posters signed. Also while waiting on the football team to arrive, fans were able to watch a highlight reel from last season on the video board above the court.
GamecocksOnline.com was able to catch a few coaches and student-athletes during the event for their take on why they enjoy Fan Appreciation Day.
Stan Rosenthal – Head Cross Country Coach
“I’m really happy that so many people came out to see everybody. It was nice to see them come and get cross country posters signed and to meet the girls on the team. We love having Gamecock supporters out here and it means just as much to us as it does to the fans.”
Shelley Smith – Women’s Soccer Head Coach
“(Fan Appreciation Day) gives us a chance to thank the people that support us year round. We’re glad to be able to do it, meet the people that are such fans of Carolina athletics and to have a chance to thank them for their support.”
Mark Wiltse, Sr. – Men’s Soccer
“It’s a great day for us. The turnout has been the best for us since the four years I’ve been here. We have great support from the fans this year. It’s probably due to the success of soccer in general in the U.S. It’s great coming out here and having the line full the entire time, seeing the smiling faces on the kids and having the die hard fans come out here.”
Jeff Scannella, Sr. – Men’s Soccer
“It’s been wonderful to see the support that the community has given us this year. It’s definitely the best turnout we’ve had in my four years here. The whole team is very appreciative of everyone coming out. We’re looking forward to a great season. All these people here – no matter what background they come from as fans, whether it be football, baseball or something else – they give us great attention, and we’re looking forward to seeing excellent turnouts at our games this year.”
Sarah Cline, Sr. – Volleyball
“It’s good for us to be able to see the people who will come to our games. We have dedicated fans that come to our games, but we need more people to come see what volleyball is all about so we can have a bigger fan base. It’s great for them to have a chance to come see us face to face so we can get to know them.”
Kim Miller, Sr. – Women’s Soccer
“Fan Appreciation Day is a good time for all of our fans to come out. We can see who supports us, get to know our fans and just thank them for coming to our games. It’s more about letting them know that we appreciate them and that we play for them.”
Blakely Mattern, Sr. – Women’s Soccer
“It’s a way for us to give back to all the people that come support us. We’ve been real successful at home the last two years, and a big part of that is the support we have and the people that come out and watch us play. It’s really important to show them how much they mean to us.”
