Fresh off a Class 2A State Championship win, the DePaul Prep varsity boys basketball team is back in season, and their student section is more supportive than ever. DePaul Prep students are consistently showing up to games, both home and away, packing the stands and cheering on the Rams.

This high energy student section has a greater impact on the team than you might think. According to head boys basketball coach Tom Kleinschmidt, the student section truly is, “the sixth man.” As a former professional basketball player himself, Kleinschmidt notes that when there is an energetic student section at home, it raises players’ adrenaline, encouraging them to play harder. Even when they’re playing away games, players feed off the negative energy of the opposing team’s fans. Kleinschmidt says it’s, “like us against the world, and it really brings the team together with a chip on our shoulder and makes us play hard and want to win even more.” 

At DePaul Prep, Kleinschmidt has seen firsthand the immense impact a lively student section has on players’ performances. He notes that, “when they go crazy, it gets our bench going. And the guys really feel it on the floor. So again, it gives us a shot of adrenaline and energy and makes us want to make the school proud and fans proud.” 

As Kleinschmidt said, this support system does not go unnoticed by the players. Junior Gus Donohue, who plays on the varsity basketball team, says that the DePaul Prep student section is, “one of the best student sections in the Catholic League. I feel like we’re real loud, especially after slam dunks or made threes, you got the whole crowd into it.” 

Students who have gone to the games have also noticed the support and high energy of the student section, especially compared to other schools in the catholic league. Sophomore Kiki Novakovic went to the Ignatius game on February 2nd, and said that while the DePaul Prep student section was loud and invested in the game, the Ignatius student section was, “dead silent.” 

The student section doesn’t just support the team at home, but also travels with them to away games. The Ignatius-DePaul Prep game hosted at Ignatius had so many people, at one point, no one could enter or exit the stadium because it was so packed. 

Whether at home or away, students, coaches, and players alike have all noticed the overall kindness of the student section towards other schools. Kleinschmidt says that the DePaul Prep students, “have fun with the opposing team in a respectful way.” And Novakovic has noticed that at games, “everybody is supporting the team, nobody is being negative or commenting on how they’re playing.” 

While the basketball student section is often lively and loud, this same energy is often not applied to other sports. Donahue, who also plays football, says that at basketball games, “there’s more energy, more hype, and overall just a better atmosphere.” 

Novakovic, who plays field hockey, says that their student section definitely has a different energy. She remembers one game she played this past season, where the football team came and showed their support, and that this made her “feel happier because you feel like someone has your back.” She compared this to away games, which very few students attend, saying that the successes feel less exciting when there is no one there cheering you on. 

While the support might not be as grand at other sporting events, the immense support that students have shown the basketball team, even so early in this season, really shows how much they care about their school.

As Kleinschmidt says, “the fact that students are willing to, “take time out of their night to come cheer us on really says a lot about who they are and the pride they have in DePaul Prep.”