There was a surplus of Homestead girls basketball players occupying both the court and stands during their matchup against De Pere on Dec 22. The reason behind the abundant amount of alumni was a former highlander with the goal of keeping girls confident on the court.
Since graduating from Homestead, Elizabeth Sweet, class of ‘09, has created Fill the Stands, a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower female athletes by creating “supercharged” gameday atmospheres. Fill the Stands adorns girls sporting events with DJ’s, decorations, and activities to try and boost event attendance.
Sweets decision to “supercharge” a Homestead girls basketball game was driven not just by her want to enhance athletes’ experience, it was also inspired by the fact that Homestead helped grow her love for basketball.
“Playing basketball at homestead was such fun, I felt a pull to go home and reconnect with that joyfulness,” Sweet reminisced.
The second annual Homestead girls basketball Alumnae game took place on December 22nd with around 20 girls basketball alumni in attendance to cheer on the current players.
The game featured decorations, a display of vintage jerseys and memorabilia, face painting, and the opportunity for players to sign autographs for the junior highlanders.
“It was amazing to see my old teammates and catch up on life. Homestead basketball was a huge chapter in my life and brought me so much happiness,” Maggie Meier ‘09, former basketball player, said.
The game served as an opportunity for players to reconnect and meet role models.
“ I want to adapt her[Elizabeth Sweet] determination to help high school girls feel seen, on and off the court, for all their accomplishments and hard work are often undermined. I try to embed this everyday in my life with small actions, such as encouraging my teammates to never give up, giving them a pat on the back whether they miss or make a shot, and try to tell them to ignore the external pressures that come along with basketball,” Sarah Zehms, junior, basketball player, said.
Although the Alumnae game drew in both new and old faces, a sea of empty seats is unfortunately not a new sight for the Homestead girls basketball team.
“I noticed a discrepancy in attendance between boys and girls games. I wanted to work towards change because it is discouraging for girls,” Sweet recalled.
Sweet is not the only one who sees value in attendance.
“I think that having the energy from a student section or the community makes a really big difference, for both teams. It can really help provide energy when things may be lacking or help build momentum when things are going well for us,” Anthony Gries, girls varsity basketball coach, explained.
To the team, arena energy is valuable.
“The play-off-like atmosphere elevated their energy, focus, accountability, and team unity,” Kellie Baran, girls varsity assistant basketball coach, explained.
Homestead girls basketball journey to gain community wide support drives past and present players.
“The alumni that silently battled for a win when they were my age, that they were once in my position, all of their legacies filled the room with such power and I wanted to show them that Homestead girls basketball was still something to be proud of for their legacies have not been forgotten–they coarse through my teammates and I when we pick up the ball,” Zehms said.
