Midnight Madness 2016
What Happened?
Instead of spending the evening studying in their dorm rooms, students flocked to Van Noord Arena last Thursday, decked out in Halloween costumes and eager to celebrate the upcoming men’s and women’s basketball seasons.
The teams entertained the crowd by performing choreographed dance routines and playing games to build the hype.
The event included a variety of games and competitions for fans.
Games included a real-life take on Hungry Hungry Hippos and musical chairs.
There were prizes to be won, including Beats headphones, a TV, and a free plane ticket to anywhere within the continental United States.
Who Made it Happen?
This is Midnight Madness, an event planned by an organization known as Calvin Game Day.
This student group seeks to promote student attendance and build excitement at home sporting events and hosts Midnight Madness every year to highlight basketball.
Excitement…
…like this…
…and this.
Fun for Students
Calvin students, both new and seasoned, enjoyed this year’s Midnight Madness.
Freshman Julia Morris said she enjoyed experiencing Midnight Madness for the first time and plans on coming to basketball games this season.
“I liked the pep rally atmosphere, and I thought the event did a great job of encouraging support for the teams,” Morris said. “I didn’t attend many sporting events in high school but I’m looking forward to going to Calvin’s basketball games.”
Sophomore Devan Alexander, who has attended Midnight Madness both years she’s been at Calvin, said she enjoys the competitive aspect of the event.
“It’s fun to watch students compete in these crazy awesome contests,” Alexander said.
The Team
Calvin is clearly excited about their Knights men’s basketball team.
Last year, Calvin men’s basketball had the fourth best attendance in Division III of the NCAA.
Rivalry
This enthusiasm will come in handy when the Knights face off against the Hope College Dutchmen.
The two teams share a rivalry that spans decades of men’s basketball history. The rivalry is so talked about that it has its own website, along with coverage by ESPN and The New York Times.
There is even a documentary about the rivalry. Watch it here:
This season, the teams are set to play each other on January 25 and again on February 18. Find the full schedule for the 2016–17 here.
Leadership
At the helm of the men’s basketball team this year is Coach Kevin Vande Streek.
Vande Streek has been coaching at Calvin for 20 years and boasts a 359–146 won-loss record, the greatest in the history of Calvin men’s basketball. A full bio of Coach Vande Streek can be found here on the team page, along with the full roster and coaching staff for the upcoming season.
Looking Forward
He talked about the upcoming season for an article posted on the team page on November 2.
“I am really excited to get going,” said head coach Kevin Vande Streek. “We have a bunch of new guys and the guys are really excited. It has been a long off-season and we are ready to get going. This past week, we had a really good week of practice, we made a big jump. The first week is always kind of a tryout week, so it is hard to do a lot of evaluating then. We have a long way to go, but I am liking the progress.”
Find the whole article here.
Relive the Madness
For those who just didn’t get enough Madness at the event or missed it and want a taste, here’s a recap video:
