My mom always told me to take joy in the little things. After seven years of school, I've "taken joy" in just about everything sports-related on campus - big, small or otherwise, and I've learned the little things are most often overlooked by the average sports fan.
There is no feeling equal to the rush you'll feel rising to your feet among a mass of 14,000 raucous Spartan fans during a men's basketball game at the Breslin Center.
That is, of course, unless you're in the Izzone.
For those who haven't had the pleasure of watching former Ohio State guard Brent Darby's mother charging at you like a Brahma bull over something 943 Izzoners said about her son, you're missing out. Even if it's only for one game, scam a ticket, you won't be sorry.
The Izzoners are among the craziest people I've come into contact with in my tenure at MSU, and I've been to enough Burger-ramas to become an authority on such matters. Their helpful handout at each game also outlines which opposing players are easiest to offend, and the best way in which to do so.
They also have the best seats in the house. How many fans can say they had a conversation with Magic Johnson during a free throw attempt? Or sat next to Dick Vitale during a broadcast? Can people up in the rafters even see the game?
And then there are the cheers. After all, there is a game going on in the midst of the madness. Not only do 943 bouncing students clad in white make an amazing camera shot for the TV guys, it also caused Vitale to dub Breslin Center one of the toughest places to play. The Orange Crush in Illinois, the Gene Pool at Purdue, they have nothing on the Izzone.
Football, that's another story. Not as much to cheer about, but fun for fall weekends, regardless.
Hours spent in parking lots during tailgates outside of Spartan Stadium provide ample opportunities to forge friendships, as well as scam free stuff from the alumnus to your left. You know the one I'm talking about - the guy with the Winnebago, flipping steaks on his grill with a buffet laid out before him that would make Ponderosa green with envy. He's been tailgating for two straight days and although he and his buddies insist on proving they still know every word to the fight song after 30 years, they're a little hazy on their own names after three or four keg stands. Prioritizing at its best.
Tucked in behind Jenison Field House is a triage of sports just waiting to be explored.
Kobs Field is home to Spartan baseball, and I'm a strong advocate for baseball at any level. Baseball greats such as Hall-of-Famer Robin Roberts and former Tiger phenom-turned-coach Kirk Gibson have both graced the field.
Adjacent to Kobs sits Old College Field, where men's and women's soccer take the pitch. Nothing's greater than sitting outside on a Sunday and watching some of MSU's best conditioned athletes take on the competition. My uneducated belief that soccer was a no-contact sport had me greatly surprised, and I spent much of my first experience cringing and peeking out from behind my hands.
And no visit to the area is complete without stopping at MSU's other Old College Field to catch a game of Spartan softball. Last year was a Cinderella season for the women, as they advanced to the regional finals of the NCAA Tournament before being ousted by national champion UCLA in a 5-0 loss.
If you think those girls aren't tough, you're sadly mistaken. It's awesome to watch an athlete who stands barely 5 feet tall blast a long ball over the fence in center field. I've never seen anyone so small freeze bats like Jessica Beech, either.
I'll have to admit, I was a bit thrown after being assigned to cover field hockey last year. But after following the women and their record-setting Final Four run, I'm addicted. Anyone who can take a stick swing to the throat and come back to run the remaining 35 minutes of the match, or lead the team in scoring while playing with a broken finger all season, is definitely worthy of attention.
On top of grit, these No. 3-ranked ladies might soon have enough hardware to rival the men's basketball collection - the past two years have brought a Big Ten championship, a conference tournament championship and back-to-back NCAA appearances, which included an Elite Eight and Final Four finish.
I share these things with you because I passed up these events for most of my college career, something I've seriously regretted.
Follow my mom's advice - take joy in the little things that make up the greater whole of MSU sports.
Dawn Klemish can be reached at klemishd@msu.edu.
