It is game day and Western players are searching for any kind of motivation they can find to win.
But they do not need to look very far. Viking “super fan” Kevin Ernest is running up and down the stands telling everyone to get up and cheer, causing fans to root louder for the team.
It does not matter if it is women’s soccer or men’s basketball — Ernest will be at the game cheering the athletes on.
Ernest, a Western junior, said a super fan could be defined as someone who follows each sport, in addition to making an effort to know the players and attend every game. While at those games, Ernest said it is important to be “rambunctious.”
Ernest decided he was going to become a super fan at the start of his sophomore year.
“I went to a good amount of games my freshman year and decided our school needed someone loud like that,” Ernest said.
Hayden LeMaster, a friend of Ernest’s from high school and a section leader in the band, said Ernest brings energy to games, which he said boosts the fan base.
“A lot of people go just to cheer with Kevin,” LeMaster said. “He brings a sense of team spirit and team unity, like, ‘Hey we are Vikings.’”
LeMaster said ever since high school, Ernest has been spirited and outgoing. He said Ernest has the ability to turn a serious environment into a fun one by getting people involved without losing focus.
Western sophomore Lindy Prewitt, a Viking cheerleader, said Ernest creates a better environment when he keeps the crowd excited and pumped up.
Prewitt said Ernest recently began to dance around during timeouts, performing dances such as “the cha-cha slide” and “the Dougie.”
“He definitely brings a lot of enthusiasm,” Prewitt said. “He is always dressed up and has his face painted blue. He is always trying to pump up the crowd when everyone gets a little tired from standing. He is there yelling at them to keep standing.”
It is important to approach each sport with a different mindset when it comes to cheering, Ernest said.
At soccer games, Ernest said while cheering people need to watch what they say. The audience is mostly parents, and there is a lot more sitting than at basketball or volleyball games.
He said at softball games, it is hard to be loud and continuously crazy because the game is much slower by nature.
Ernest said basketball and volleyball are his favorite games to attend because the pace is faster and it is easier to cheer for them.
LeMaster said he and band member Casey Schwenk are designated super fans for the band, and they enjoy cheering on the crowd from the band section. That’s not enough though. He said he wants to create a large super-fan group.
When it comes to techniques to make the crowd excited, Ernest has plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
“I like to run up and down the stairs [and] up and down the sideline, getting people to stand up and get loud,” Ernest said. “I wave my arms around like, ‘Come on — be loud.’”
Ernest said he is not afraid to call people out by saying, “This is a game, not a sit fest.”
He said he would do anything to have fun cheering and getting the crowd involved.
Prewitt and LeMaster both said his enthusiasm creates a great environment for all of the athletes by giving them the motivation they need.
Prewitt said Ernest makes an effort to get to know all of the cheerleaders.
“We all love Kevin,” she said.
Ashton Griffen and Anna Geldenhuys, soccer players for the women’s team, said Ernest brings energy to every game.
Griffen and Geldenhuys said they like that he paints his body, even when it is freezing cold outside.
Griffen and Geldenhuys said they appreciate his effort of coming out to every game. Not many people attend the games, they said.
Ernest said he does not like to hold himself in a higher prestige than fellow Vikings but the title is fun to own.
His ability to inspire athletes and get crowds excited to be at the games is what sets him apart from the other fans.
Ernest said he will continue his super fan-dom at all Viking sporting events, and he is looking to expand his entourage.
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