An Industriales vs. Matanzas Game in an Empty Stadium Due to Lack of Motivation
The Matanzas Crocodiles began the fourth edition of the Cuban Elite Baseball League with the momentum of a team that had achieved an objective many believed impossible.
The red and yellows started the summer tournament at full speed, as the popular saying goes: comeback victories, a cohesive team, and all players betting on the goal of qualifying.
After an initial series that raised hopes among Matanzas fans, the team led by Eduardo Cárdenas entered a negative dynamic, stringing together ten consecutive losses.
Day after day, fans came to the Victoria de Girón stadium hoping that the local nine would change their dynamic and return to being that team that had excited so many.
As days passed and the situation remained unchanged, the flow of people to the Matanzas colossus began to decrease to the point where you could count on your fingers the people who went to cheer on the team.
After a long time without knowing victory, the Crocodiles found their winning ways again in their last challenge against the Leñadores de Las Tunas.
That victory was more than a simple baseball game; it was a balm for the fans, who began to believe in a comeback and, why not, in qualifying.
Two wins against Industriales at the Latinoamericano stadium rekindled the flame that the wind of so many defeats had extinguished.
The reptiles returned to the swamp to catch a second wind and start the second half of the championship with renewed energy.
Many, myself included, thought that with such an attractive series as Matanzas vs. Industriales, the stadium would be full, or at least have a higher attendance than usual.
To my surprise, the opposite happened: the first game had no more than a hundred attendees, and from then on the number began to drop.
One day, a good friend told me: «When you want to see how a team is doing in any sport, go to the stadium and look at the people; they are the best indicator of how things are going.»
To be honest, the alarms regarding the athletic performance of the Matanzas Crocodiles have been on for some time now. Now, added to this, alarms are going off about the lack of fan support.
Just as an athlete needs motivation as fuel, the sports lover also needs that little incentive to attend a sports facility or cheer for their team.
In all areas of life there are moments of crisis, and sports are not exempt from them. In order to redirect the situation, one must evaluate what has gone wrong so far, so that everything can be better going forward.
Amid the daily ups and downs that are part of our lives, baseball is that little moment to disconnect and be happy. Let’s not let that be lost due to lack of motivation.
