Lewis has had a broad spectrum of incredible sports to watch and attend since the beginning of its founding. Starting In the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and then eventually making a transition into the NCAA as a Division ll-level school, Lewis now offers 22 varsity teams.
Each program has found plenty of success with multiple appearances in each respective national tournament for different programs. Even going on to win many conference championships in the GLVC (Great Lakes Valley Conference) and the MIVA (Men’s Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) which are some of the top conferences in each of their divisions.
While there is always encouragement and grand opportunity to join a wide selection and variety of club and intramural spots on campus, many still look for a way to stay involved with the athletics program as a part of a fanbase.
Max Roquet, a junior marketing major and athlete, wanted to help promote Lewis sports and events across campus. A desire for all students to be involved in athletics, he created the Flyer Fanatics. With the assistance of Capel Henshaw, the Assistant Director of Athletics for External Relations and a former student-athlete as a part of the basketball team, the Flyer Fanatics are striving to be more present at home games, meets and events.
“With the club being so new, we have not reached a stage where we are organizing or creating our own events,” Roquet states, “But we instead are all about promoting current events that are going on, trying to get fans out to each sporting event and create fun themes for everyone to participate in.”
As previously mentioned, with the club being new, they also present new ideas and lots of potential for growth. One of these new ideas is for the benefit of each fan, utilizing their student ID together with reward points throughout the year with each event, offering these points and eventually allowing for students to gain free Lewis merchandise by the end of the year.
With the inclusion of the new digital screen display within the Neil Carey Arena, Henshaw has led the way in getting young audiences and fans from not only the student section, but for all audience members to participate in different trivia games, raffle opportunities and in-sport action on the court.
The mission is about getting more students to support each team, regardless of if they are residents, commuters, faculty or are on another sports team. While activity and progress has slowed down recently, the potential to grow and make a significant impact on the universities sports culture and support is evident. It leaves plenty of room on the table for a more vibrant and engaged fan community. Regardless of this the event is typically popular or not.
Any questions on how to get involved? Feel free to reach out to Max through email at maxwroquet@lewisu.edu.
