For Texas Wesleyan athletes, it doesn’t matter what sport you play: if you’re a Ram, you play for the same team.

The Wesleyan softball team cheers on its own players during games, but their support doesn’t end there. The Lady Rams fill up the stands with blue and gold at many other sports’ games as well.

“It feels good to know you have other Ram athletes backing you up,” said softball player Bailey Terry, a sophomore accounting major. “We make a point to go watch our fellow Rams and cheer them on.”

The Lady Rams are encouraged to support all of Wesleyan’s sports teams by head coach Shannon Gower.

“Our coach definitely supports us going to other sporting events,” softball player MacKenzie Kirkpatrick said. “She wants a positive presence to be known on campus.”

But the softball team isn’t the only team fostering camaraderie among Wesleyan athletes.

“I have seen small groups from other teams coming to support us, and other sports,” Kirkpatrick said.

Rams pitcher Dusty Cloud believes the support unites the various teams on campus.

“Other teams show support not only to baseball, but all sports on campus, and the teams seem to bond,” said Cloud, a junior criminal justice major.

The baseball team chooses to support fellow athletes in many ways, Cloud said.

“We decide as a team to go out and show support to other teams, whether that is attending the games, or asking how the season is going,” Cloud said.

Cloud believes the support from other athletes improves team performance.

“The support fires us up and makes us want to perform to hear the crowd cheer,” Cloud said. “It’s a rush when you do something good and people go crazy.”

Not only do the Rams support each other at games, but many athletes help each other train during their off-seasons.

“We try to reach for the same goals in different sports,” Gower said.

When some softball players were struggling to pass their conditioning test earlier this semester, Gower reached out to cross country head coach Natneal Amare for support.

“He had some of the track team stay after their training session to help out,” Gower said. “The girls ran it with the softball team to motivate them, and four to five girls passed due to their help.”

Kirkpatrick was thankful for the track team’s support.

“They gave our players tips on how to run a faster mile, and they ran it with them to motivate them,” Kirkpatrick said. “Several people have passed due to their help, so we are thankful for them helping us.”

Terry, Kirkpatrick’s teammate, has high hopes for the athletic program’s future.

“I hope for the program to become stronger and be able to compete with the best,” Terry said.