With the 2009-10 Seahawk basketball season upon us it will be easy for the students and community to turn most of its focus towards UNCW’s undeniable keystone sport. As Trask re-opens its doors and the Seahawks hit the hardwood for another exciting season, it’s important to remember the smaller sports whose performances largely outweigh their recognition.

Over the past few years of covering UNCW sports, I’ve noticed men’s basketball is the only team commanding a true and consistent fan base. While it is the so-called sport of the school, there’s still no reason why we shouldn’t pay attention to our other teams, some of whom are making noise at the national level.

There’s no question the UNCW soccer program is currently in the midst of its most successful year to date. Both the men’s and women’s sides have enjoyed big seasons resulting in postseason play. Last Sunday the Lady Seahawks captured their first ever Colonial Athletic Association title with a 1-0 victory over James Madison in the tournament final. They will take their 13-7-1 record to Chapel Hill Friday, Nov. 13 to face-off with Georgia in their first ever NCAA tournament appearance.

On the men’s side, head coach Aidan Heaney’s bunch have just wrapped up their second straight CAA regular season title and are currently ranked 22nd in the nation. The Seahawks boast a record of 12-2-4 and are on an 11-game unbeaten streak. UNCW will host the CAA tournament for the second year in a row Nov. 13-15 and the Seahawks look to have a strong case for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament should they fail to collect the conference championship.

Despite the extreme success of the soccer programs this year, both have struggled to find a consistent fan base with home game attendance rarely reaching the 500 mark.

An established dynasty in the CAA, the men’s swimming and diving team has taken the last eight conference crowns. Head coach Dave Allen has also won three CAA titles with the women, the most recent coming in the 2005-06 season. Both squads have already jumped out to early winning records (men: 3-1, women: 4-1) after losing the opening meet at Duke.

Another team that has deserved plaudits this year is the volleyball squad. First-year coach Amy Bambenek has led a turnaround, which has seen the Seahawks climb out of the CAA cellar for the first time in over three years. This season, UNCW has amassed a 13-16 record while going 3-9 in the CAA. While 3-9 is nothing to shout about, it does triple the Seahawks’ CAA win count from the past three seasons combined giving hopes of a brighter future for the Seahawk netters.

The men’s tennis team under reigning CAA Coach-of-the-Year Mait Dubois is also on the rise after winning last season’s CAA tournament and enjoying a successful start to the 2009 season. The Seahawks also earned their first NCAA Tennis Regionals appearance and were included in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s national rankings at No. 58.

Head coach Matt Clark’s men’s golf team has also quietly received national recognition, winning the VCU Shootout in September and cracking into the national top 40. Junior standout Josh Brock even competed in last summer’s U.S. Open Championship against golf’s top professionals in the world at the famous Bethpage Black course in New York.

Even the women’s basketball team will sometimes play in relative anonymity. There have been several women’s games where barely 200 seats are filled for a crucial CAA match-up after over 6000 poured through the doors the night before for a men’s game.

By no means am I saying don’t support our basketball team. In fact, it’s just the opposite; give them your full support. But offer that same support to the other teams here that deserve it just as much. Overall, it’s an exciting time to be a Seahawk fan. So when you’re in Trask this winter cheering for your Seahawk hoops team, don’t forget the little guys.