It's the best seat in the house. Underneath the basket, away from the enthusiastic mass lining the bleachers, sits 8-year-old Bradley Troyan.

Just a short distance from the action, the third-grader hears the players, coaches and officials against the thunderous crowd in the background. He follows the play attentively, eagerly awaiting his cue.

There's a time out on the floor.

The players huddle with their coaches while the crowd joins the chanting -- "We are . . . Penn State!" Almost unnoticed, Troyan emerges from his post. He pushes the white towel over the hardwood in the same manner that he would guide a toy car on the kitchen floor. Rising to his feet, he inspects his work. Quickly, Troyan polishes a spot that he missed, settling for nothing less than perfection.

"I have fun," he said proudly. "I get to go out on the floor and wipe it up."

Returning to his seat, he claps with the cheerleaders and taps his foot in time with the band. In a rare moment of distraction, he glances over his shoulder at the other kids who are dancing with the Nittany Lion. An erupting crowd jolts his attention back to the game in time to see the ball fall through the net. Outfitted in blue sweatpants with white lion paws, there's no question where his loyalty lies.

"It's been great for Bradley," said Lady Lion Assistant Coach Annie Troyan of her nephew. "He's learning the game. He's learning the terminology. He's learning the sportmanship."

Bradley Troyan is only one of the many children who are considered part of the Lady Lion family. Sisters Jennifer and Jessica Schroth, ages nine and 12 respectively, traveled from Altoona to be part of the sellout crowd last Sunday against Iowa.

"We had to be here for the excitement of the game," Jessica Schroth said, as she smiled through the blue and white paint that covered her face. "We had to show our team spirit and our support."

All athletes have fans who support their teams. But this year, the Lady Lions have worked diligently to knock down the ivory tower of athletics that has historically placed athletes beyond the reach of fans who adore them. Coach Rene Portland reminds her players they are role models to a community of children.

"We just want to expose kids to college athletics in a positive way," she said. "We want them to feel the excitement in a locker room, feel the excitement of a team, be part of warmups."

With that in mind, Graduate Assistant Dawn Bryant created the Lady Lion Cager Kids' Club. From their reserved seating section, club members get to be close to the action. Earlier this season, the Lady Lions lowered the rim for the children to participate in a slam-dunking contest. In talking with the athletes, these kids have discovered that their basketball heroes are ordinary people -- people who care about their fans.

"They are extremely personable," said Mark Morath of State College, whose daughter Megan is a club member. "They don't carry any egotistical baggage."

Although they don't consider themselves celebrities, the Lady Lions have accepted their responsibility as role models. As the time on the game clock expires, this duty begins. After fielding questions from the press, the Lady Lions approach the crowd, which has anxiously awaited their arrival. With a pen in one hand and a Lady Lions' poster in the other, these fans circle the athletes in hopes of getting an autograph.

"When you see a little girl, or even a little boy, come up and smile and look at you like, 'Oh wow,' it just makes you feel good that you can give something back," senior co-captain Jackie Donovan said.

Last Sunday, 10 girls from Pioneer Basketball in State College were grateful for the opportunity to perform at Rec Hall. The young athletes played a game of their own in front of the cheering halftime crowd.

"I was kind of nervous, but it was fun," 9-year-old Stephanie Kleinert said. "I've never played on a long court in front of so many people before."

Although they were excited to play, the girls were relieved to step out of the Lady Lions' shoes and sit back on the bleachers as fans. Many are already looking forward to their next chance to be part of the excitement.

When the team takes the floor Sunday against Michigan State, much of the spirit that welcomes it will surely come from these young fans who hope one day to be taking the floor themselves.

For now, they are content to dream.