When the Brown County High School boys basketball team hit the court in the Larry C. Banks Memorial Gymnasium to face off against Columbus Christian School for one of their first home games of the season the opposing team had more fans in the stands.

The Eagles won that game by seven points for a final score of 57-50, but not many were there to see it.

“The decline in the fans and the support is embarrassing,” parent Lisa Patrick told the Brown County School Board of Trustees on Dec. 2.

The number of students trying out to be on the basketball team or to cheer on the sidelines as cheerleaders are also low, Patrick told the school board during their meeting earlier this month.

“I don’t know what we need to do or what we can try to do,” Patrick said.

In 2019, Patrick and other parents worked together to do raffles at games to draw students in to cheer on the Eagles basketball teams. The COVID-19 pandemic halted those efforts last basketball season.

“Two years ago we tried to do as much as we could and last year due to COVID we were not able to do any of that. I am asking for you to help,” Patrick said to the board.

“Anything we can do to help get these kids support.”

Patrick said there is also a lack of halftime entertainment since the band no longer performs at games. She said fans and parents also struggle with purchasing game tickets online. The school district switched to an online payment system at GoFan.com for tickets instead of taking cash at games.

She encouraged the school board and everyone in the meeting to attend the next varsity boys basketball home game on Jan. 7 against Edgewood High School.

“I am willing to do whatever it takes to draw people in. I have tried to share it on Facebook. If I could start doing raffles again or anything during halftime I would really appreciate it if you would let me know,” Patrick said.

“They really, really play hard.”

The Lady Eagles are facing the same attendance issue, Superintendent Emily Tracy said.

School board member Amy Oliver encouraged Patrick to reach out to the high school’s athletic director Mark Bruner about what can be done to increase attendance at games and the high school’s Athletic Booster Club President Jennifer VanNess.

“We collaborated two years ago. She does a lot,” Patrick said of VanNess.

“Anything I can do so she doesn’t have to spread herself even more thin. Us parents are willing to do whatever.”

The girls junior varsity and varsity basketball teams will play their next home game on Dec. 15 against Greenwood Community High School. The JV game starts at 6 p.m. and the varsity game will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The boys and girls junior varsity and varsity teams will all be home again on Jan. 7 to face off against Edgewood High School. Junior varsity teams will play at 6 p.m. and the varsity teams will play at 7:30 p.m.