How did you become a Shocker?

[rZ]

Grew up playing baseball and always followed WSU. Got the opportunity at another institution to play ball and have school paid for. Took it, hated it, left. Transferred to WSU. I've been passionate about all things WSU since...and haven't left. Completed two degrees, and will FINALLY finish the third (and last) this spring.

[Shox1979]

My grandmother taught at WSU for 30 years and would take us out to her office often. My mom and dad were both students there when I was born. I attended WSU and my sister is currently a student there for a 2nd time. Mowed lawns to pay for season tickets all 4 years of high school. I had the honor of participating in offseason scrimmages with the team my freshmen year since I was a friend of one of the players.

[shocks771]

I was a little too young to remember X and AC, but I remember going to a few Shocker basketball games during the mid-80's and I definitely remember going to watch the baseball team battle Oklahoma State in the 1980's. I will always remember the Shockers winning the CWS on my 10th birthday.

Enrolled at WSU in the fall of 1997 and sat in the stands along with MartyMoose and about 20-30 other students during the Randy Smithson years.

Purchased season tickets after I graduated in 2001 and of the 502 college basketball games that WSU has played since I stepped foot on campus in 1997 I would guess that I have seen between 325-350 of them in person. I've followed the Shockers to Padre Island, Las Vegas, Orlando, Saint Thomas, Puerto Rico, Maui, Greensboro, DC, Portland, Salt Lake City, Atlanta and many other places so I'm pretty much a fanatic.

I love this university and I'm very proud to be a Shocker!!

[Play Angry]

I grew up in an all Shocker household (both parents are alums), and they had hoops season tickets when I was a kid. We were horrible- the guys on those teams were still my heroes, though, and I'd practice in the driveway every single god-awful-Kansas-winter day of basketball season pretending I was helping lead them back to the NCAA Tournament. Those driveway buzzer beaters were about as close as we came for a long, long time though.

The other kids in my school were all either KU or KSU fans, but not this little dude. KU was about the dirtiest word imaginable under my Dad's roof. The old man learned me right- Shockers or bust, and to hell with KU. We were more or less indifferent to KSU.

I worked full time all throughout undergrad and and am grateful for the lessons learned during those lean times. Lots of mac & cheese or spaghetti dinners back then, and wondering if I could scrape together enough to keep the electric bill on for another month. I finally had my degree five years later and couldn't be more proud to be a Shocker.

Work has taken me to some new and interesting places, but Wichita will always be home and WSU sports will always be a great passion for me. I love this school.

Now, I am enjoying every second of this current ride. This team is accomplishing things every day that people long said were impossible, and that is a great inspiration and point of pride. I can't wait to see how the rest of the story plays out.

[Dan]

Interesting of my core group of friends that follow wsu (we're all out of state and spread out) i'm the only one that actually graduated from wsu. Of the others, 2 are beakers and the other 2 graduated from east coast schools. We text during the games and go to arch madness every year. Not all beakers are bad.

[Calshockfan]

I was a student at WSU during the Dave Stallworth era. I attended nearly every home game and was hooked. After graduation I relocated to California and lost touch until the internet came along and I discovered ShockerRadio. WSU did not get much coverage out here even in the good years. I have not been inside the roundhouse in fifty years
however, I have made it to St Louis for the tournament 10 of the years since 1998. I will go again this year to avoid not being there when we finally win one. I am considering
a trip to Wichita next year for the game at Intrust Bank Arena and hopefully one game at Koch Arena.

[Rosewood]

Growing up no one in my family cared about sports. It never was a thing. (Including extended family). But for some reason I was drawn into the drama of sports. I lived my whole life in Wichita but WSU sports were never on my radar. I never went to a game as a kid.

College basketball was something we all bet on nk grade school and really only was a thing in March. But it was THE thing in March. I loved March Madness from the first time I heard about it -- 6th grade, 1994 -- even though I literally knew nothing.

Through middle school and high school we always had a bracket so I learned more and more about the game. I started watching games earlier and earlier until I was paying attention to KU games in January.

Of course it had to be KU because that was just what there was. But I never felt that connection. I connected with the Cubs but KU basketball never was one I enjoyed.

When it came time to go to university I had no clue. But I knew I needed to go somewhere. Anywhere. Because of a weird paperwork issue and because I was lazy I never took the ACT so it was off to WSU (state schools had to accept all hs graduates at the time). So off to WSU for the 2000-2001 school year. I was aware that there was a new coach and there was some excitement that his KU background could work at WSU.

From 2000-2004 I never went to a game. That was in the remodel era and I was also running my business by day and going to class by night. None of my professors cared for wsu sports (except my senior year when I filled my upper level history course with Dr Dreifort's history of baseball class).

My senior year I was feeling a little bummed my college years were over (I busted to finish in 4. I took 60 hours my senior year). So when my friend said he had a ticket to go to the WSU vs FSU NIT game I said sure. My first in person college basketball game. I was blown away. That was crazy ness. I loved it.

04-05 I didn't make it to a game. I was working full time and I lived down south Wichita and I was getting ready to get married that June.

But in 05-06 I felt like that team would be really good. I was buying into the hype. So I tried to go to a November game and missed it for worm and come Christmas time I got tickets to the bracket busters game from my inlaws. So to say thanks I got 4 tickets for the Valentines Day.

So my second game was WSU vs Creighton in the student section for "The Shot".

I didn't miss a home game the rest of that year. I was hooked. I bought season tickets with my friend the next season. I didn't want to miss another game. I've missed 2 home games since - once for a funeral and once for a space shuttle launch. I didn't want to risk ever missing something like the atmosphere of that fsu game or a shot like Matt B's.

So I don't have the rich tradition some of you have. Sure, you could label me a bandwagon fan even. (Although the student loans I paid more than qualify me IMO). But being a shocker fan has always felt right. I quickly fell in love with my school WSU and I quickly fell for the sports too.

I'm also a baseball nut. I love the nerdy side of the game. I started going to baseball games the same time. My aunt in law moved to Hawaii and I've been keeping her seat warm since the 05-06 season. I've never seen my Shox in Omaha so I hope that changes soon.

E: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T4aUW7DH-Q&t=1m50s , not that I need the video. I can still see that shot when I close my eyes. I probably also caused nerve damage banging on those seats in the student section with that FT. If you could go to that game and not walk out a life time Shocker fan, there is something wrong with you.

[engrshock]

I grew up a fan of basketball at all three Div. 1 Kansas schools. Two of my brothers graduated from WSU with degrees in engineering and I followed them to WSU. Robert Elmore, Cal Bruton, jay Jackson, Steve Kalocinski, and Cheese Johnson addicted me to Shocker basketball. Football and baseball soon followed. I now have a bachelors and masters degrees from WSU in engineering and three children who have or will have graduated from WSU. Go Shocks!!!

[1972Shocker]

Dave Stallworth was, is and always will be No. 1 on my list of favorite athletes. That began when I was about 12. I did get my degree from Wichita State but by that point The Rave had already captured my heart and soul.

[The 'hut]

I was raised in the far reaches of NW Kansas. Everyone was a KSU, KU or Fort Hays fan. My oldest sister '73 went to PT school at WSU and my next sister '74 joined her. The next year they were both Shockettes and dated guys on the basketball team. I was a middle school student in the middle of no where who got a t-shirt designed like the WSU uniform (T shirts were hardly available) with my name on the back and my number..which was also Cal Bruton's. I watched games sitting in the NW corner of the Roundhouse under the water fountain when I could get to the games with my sisters. Bob Elmore, Neil Strom, Cheese Johnson, Bob Trogele, Jim McCoullough, Bird Johnon. Well I chose WSU and when I graduated, my oldest sister was on faculty, the younger sister finished her masters, and I got my bachelors. During college, students bought reserved seats and you could also buy one student guest season ticket. The fraterity marketed that well to the young alumni. I played many a game in Henrion with Randy Smithson and Reuben Echols. Cliff was driving an Excalibur around campus after signing with the Bulls and stopped by to show off. I was around Greg Dreiling a great deal the year he was at WSU. I too remember Prince McJunkins and made the trip to the 13-10 football game and the catch by Donnie Dreher, may he rest in peace. Lost track of my alma mater for a few years, but make the trip down a few times a season and had made Omaha a bi yearly trip with my wife. I am attending the tournament this year for the first time. Oh yeah! My wife, a dyed in the wool, KSU fan/grad got her MBA at WSU while our children were young, so she attends when she can as well.

[AndShock]

Growing up I didn't even know WSU existed so I was pretty much a KU fan. We didn't have internet and I never saw WSU on TV, they weren't on my video games either. Once Turgeon started turning the program around I remember starting to follow them somewhat, catching them on TV every once in a while and seeing their scores in the newspaper. That 9-0 start before they lost to Manhattan was when I really jumped on the bandwagon.

My dad decided to get tickets for the WKU in '04-'05 and it's turned into a family obsession since then. He purchased season tickets the next year and I haven't missed a home game since. My great grandparents attended every football and basketball game back in the day but they had passed and my grandmother had given up the high dollar tickets well before I was born. I guess you could say they had planted a seed that was just looking for an excuse to be brought to life.

When it came to picking a University, I somewhat considered K-State because of the fact that it was away from home, a college town, where most of my friends went, etc. But there was no possible way I could let myself go through life as a K-State alum and spend a few winters away from Koch when I had the choice to remain in Wichita. I'll be graduating from WSU this spring.

[shock]

Been going to the games for too many years to count at this point. My dad is an alum, and my mom more recently with her Masters. I have posed my story more than once, but run down is life long Shocker fan, past includes Jennifer Kaczka getting me an Official autograph ball from the one and only Randy Burns, lots of ridicule from classmates and teachers,and a fan of the game when I was ~8 (won pizza for a year, which my mom accidentally packed away with the christmas stuff. found them the week after the last one expired. she'll never live it down.) My parents and grandparents have season tix of which I usually get a few a year. My fiancé WAS a beaker fan, but is no more (conditions with rings and such). I go to Emporia State, and am finishing up a Social Sciences/Poli Sci degree and run my own business with my (shocker fan) grandpa making metal art. Anyways, GO SHOCKS.

[ShockerFever]

Love these manifestos, guys.

For me, I came down with some kind of fever when I was born and have been ill ever since.

[ciaomichael]

Even though I'm a WSU graduate, I've been a fan every since I can remember. As a young child, I remember my parents going to a few games but mostly listening on the radio. Those were the days of Dave Stallworth, Kelly Pete, Nate Bowman et al. My dad went to night classes at WSU, getting his degree as he was working to support our young family.

A little later, I went to football and basketball games with my dad. One year, the football team actually finished with a winning record and I "stormed the field" along with hundreds of other young kids. I still remember when the football team's airplane crashed.

In the 6th grade, it was the first year in Wichita of school integration by cross-busing. Our flag football coach wanted the white and black kids to bond, so he assigned us to invite kids over to sleepovers on the Friday nights before the games. One of my early assignments turned out to be the younger brother of Shocker great Terry Benton. Later on that winter, we went to a WSU basketball game together. We sat right by the tunnel where the players enter and exit. Benton had one his 20+ rebound efforts and his little brother was quiet but very proud.

To my good fortune, I attended WSU right in the heart of the Smithson glory years. Will never forget the regional game vs. Iowa to get us to the sweet 16. Kind of followed the baseball then, too. Two girls that lived in the apartment right above us were friends of some of the baseball players and did their laundry. Many spring mornings I remember leaving for class or work, with a row of WSU baseball uniforms drying in the breeze on the balcony above.

[wufan]

great stories!!!