Fanthers claim top national prize

The Drury Fanthers student athletic support group was recently honored as the winner of the Division-II "Game Environment Award of Excellence" for 2011. The award was announced at the NCAA Convention on January 14 in Indianapolis, Ind., and the crystal trophy was presented during the annual D-II Business Meeting that same day.

A total of 10 schools were recognized prior to the convention and each received a $500 award. However, Drury was the sole winner of the national award. The Game Environment Award of Excellence, according to the NCAA, "recognizes athletics programs that have displayed a special commitment to creating competition environments that stress civility, cater to the comfort of fans and participants, and are exciting."

The Fanthers group was created in the summer of 2011, as a way to increase student attendance at home contests. The group was immediately popular among students, and over 560 students signed up to be Fanthers at the beginning of the academic year. Fanthers can be seen en masse at basketball contests, wearing black Fanthers t-shirts. The most notable job of the Fanthers at contests has been serving as front-row referees. Donning referee jerseys, member of the Fanthers stand near the sideline to cheer on the Panthers' squads.

"[Having the Fanthers at events] has helped the atmosphere because we can change games," senior Alex Dillard, Fanthers member, said. "A player may or may not be performing at their best one game, and having our support there may just give them the confidence to score the game-winning goal, shot or run."

After the introduction of such an idea at home contests, the Fanthers grew and became an integral part of home sporting events, especially at the O'Reilly Family Event Center. The Fanthers were nominated for the award by Scott Puryear, Sports Information Director and the Fanthers moderator. Puryear wrote a summary of the idea in action for the National Convention to be evaluated, and the Fanthers took home the prize.

The Fanthers will continue to be a presence at basketball contests for the remainder of the season, but will also look to support the spring athletics teams once their seasons begin.

"We want to get out to several events at baseball and softball and have some tailgate parties out there, especially once it warms up and the weather is nice," Puryear said. "We want to make sure we get out to tennis when they have their home matches at Cooper."

The Fanthers program has been a unique way to connect students, athletes, and local businesses. In addition to receiving discounts from local businesses, Fanthers support the athletes who work hard to represent Drury University in a positive way. Well, now it is our turn to support those who have created an awesome environment at the O'Reilly Family Events Center.

"We have recognized the importance of showcasing fan-friendly and entertaining environments for Division II athletics events," NCAA D-II Vice President Mike Racy said. "The national game-environment award has become a symbol of excellence at the Division II level in executing this important initiative. I compliment Drury for the job they have done in creating a positive game environment for their fans and their student-athletes."