Playing with Fire Podcast

Have you ever heard thousands of fans singing the National Anthem or chanting in unison? It gives you a chill up your spine and may even bring a tear to your eye.

I once was fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of one of these coordinated responses and found it to be overwhelming. As I approached the high jump bar in the 1980 U.S. Olympic Trials thousands of spectators, who did not know me, clapped in time to each step that I took. As my approach speed became faster so did their response. The power and connectedness I experienced with everyone in the stands that day was awesome.

Witnessing this again at a recent sporting event made me think that it is time for a paradigm shift. Imagine a group of men and women trained to help make this coordinated support a regular occurrence at games and competitions. Using the latest technology to increase the intensity and virtuousness of participation would add another dimension to the game by helping players and fans forge a closer bond. This might even be good for the bottom line! What should we call these people? How about Cheerleaders?

This may sound bizarre or naive but I think cheerleaders should lead rather than be ogled at for what they are not wearing. Cheerleaders should be professionally trained to help organize the outward expression of support by fans for their teams and help direct it in the most positive and effective way. As an athlete, I never appreciated or benefited from fans treating one of my competitors poorly. On the other hand, the ability of a crowd to lift an athlete or team is truly remarkable.