Fill the Bowl

If you live in Wisconsin, you are acutely aware of the Badgers.

Primarily, the Badger basketball, football, and hockey teams.

While there are other Division 1 universities competing in athletics in the state (Marquette and UW - Green Bay); it's the Badgers that move the needle from Ashland to Kenosha.

Maybe the thing that has impressed me most since moving back to Wisconsin is women's college athletics.

Just to mark the passage of time,, Title IX took place in 1978.  It's a good thing.  Young women and girls should have avenues to compete and participate.

In providing equal opportunity; there are twelve varsity sports for women at Wisconsin.  Hockey, volleyball, and hoops get most of the attention, but track, cross country, rowing and softball are showing up on the national stage.

Lower attendance, but no less intensity mark the women's games.  The upside to that from what I've seen is that the women's games are more family - friendly.

Younger faces dot the crowd.  Young families bring their little girls and boys to cheer on Bucky.

Price is a big factor... it's less expensive to attend a women's game than a men's game.  When you add in a competitive team with high aspirations and teams that get it - you have a winning combination.

So that's the backdrop.  Throw all those factors in a big mixing bowl and Badger women's hockey decided to fill it.  The bowl, that is.

In 2012, the women set an NCAA attendance record - 12,402.

To beat that, tickets for seats inside the Kohl Center (approximately 7 times the capacity of their usual home in the LaBahn arena) sold for $1 each.

And, fans were asked to bring non-perishable food items to fill the bowls of hungry families in Madison and Dane County through the Second Harvest Food bank.

The Badgers, #2 in the country, faced off against #1 Minnesota.  Those two schools (4 each) and the University of Minnesota - Duluth (5) have split up the 13 NCAA Championships won so far.

A compelling match, a great cause, and a friendly price did the trick.

13,573 fans filled the bowl to set a new NCAA record and they brought 4,677 pounds of groceries to help their neighbors.

I had a seat in front of a youth hockey team - one of several dozen teams on hand wearing their own hockey sweaters and cheering for the home team.

Most of the Badgers are from Wisconsin and many Wisconsin players are on Olympic ice in Sochi.  That's a lot for the "Mighty Mites" and other young players to shoot for in their future.

You notice I haven't mentioned the score.  Well, it was an intense and well-played game, but the Minnesota Golden Gophers were too much for the Badgers.  Minnesota has one loss on the season.  Wisconsin is number two and try hard, but right now there is a big gap between the teams.


There will be more opportunities for the Badger team.  In the conference (WCHA) play-offs and then a likely show down in the NCAA.

It was fun; with a lot of energy brought by the legions of young fans.  It's an experience the players won't forget playing in front of such a large crowd.  I'm glad to have been one of that 13,573 - the Kohl holds a couple thousand more than that - and hope to be there the next time they break the record.

As far as women's sports, I was really introduced to them at Lutheran High School in Indianapolis.  It watching softball and volleyball up close, being played at a high level were a blast to watch.  I'm looking forward to the Badger Softball season (already underway) when the snow is gone and they can play some home games!