The Importance of High School Spirit

The Importance of High School Spirit

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Joe’s Perspective: High school is supposed to be fun, not endured. It’s also supposed to be innocent fun. Part of that fun is having an engaged and spirited student section. It brings most of the students together for a common cause. And, no, your team doesn’t have to be great for the students to show this kind of spirit. It makes me sad that my daughter goes to home football games and only about 50 students are attending, and they are not sitting together to cheer on the team. I know all that she is missing out on.

When I was in high school, we had hundreds of kids in the student section. We didn’t wait for the cheerleaders to initiate a cheer, we made up our own cheers. At basketball games, we would collectively bring over 100 rolls of toilet paper and throw it on the court after our team scored their first point. We brought newspapers and pretended to read it when the opposing team was introduced, and yell, “Who cares.” It was goofy and childish, but it is some of my best memories from high school. I think our football team was 3-6 my senior year and our basketball team was just over .500. And yet, we had the best student section.

Every high school student should be able to experience this type of energy. It is a bonding experience. The popular kids standing right beside the skateboarders and the brainiacs. Below I am providing a couple of random videos from high school student sections across the country.  In both videos, I have no idea what they are saying and doing, but I know they are having fun. My wish for you is that you will find ways to bring this type of energy to your high school. It doesn’t start with the administration or the parents, it can only start with you. Students set the tone and you establish traditions for younger students to follow when they get to high school.

Your Turn: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your student section at your school? What can you do to build student spirit?

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  1. I would rate our school spirit a 7/10. There is always a participating student section in the spirit theme for football games, even the away games. Other sports don’t really get much attention, but the other teammates are always cheering on each other when it isn’t their turn to compete.

  2. I think our school spirit is a 8/10 because our loud crowds are always so loud. But I also think our school spirit could be improved by the loud crowd actually paying attention to the game not just cheering when they think something good happened.

  3. I would rate it 6 out of 10. It wasn’t the best but it was the first home game. Get people more involved in chanting and cheering.

  4. I think it depends on the sport and who we play with how much school spirit we have. sometimes it’s like a 4 or 5 and other times it’s an 8 or 9.

    1. I would rate the student section at school an 8 because I feel there is a lot of energy at the basketball and football games. We could do better with school spirit in other sports. To build school spirit, you have to get people hyped up about what your doing.

  5. I would rate my schools my schools student section spirit a 5 because when the team is losing there not into the game most of them are downing the team. But when were winning they can cheer alot get the crowd really loud and hype

  6. I rate our school spirit for varsity about a 10/10. but for jv i’d rate it a 5/10 simply because there’s barely anyone there.

  7. It depends on who is in the student section and who is actually cheering some people sit in the front but don’t say anything or do anything which is like a 5. Other times it’s about a 8 and good and everyone is upbeat.

  8. i rate our student section a 9/10 we don’t have a lot a lot of students but we have lots of spirit and it’s inspiring to the players!

  9. I would rate our student section a 6/10. We have themes and cheerleaders but most people don’t know what’s foing on until it is over

  10. I feel our student section this year is a 6 at best. Our students don’t get involved as much anymore and it sad and disappointing. Seeing your student section makes everything better.

  11. I would rate my student section 7/10. There needs to be more cheering and they need to get more hyped in my opinion sometimes it is a 9 though they do do pretty well for the most part

  12. I think our student section is like a 8/10! The ones that sit in the front really get into it and go crazy but the younger ones that are new to it don’t feel as comfortable so they don’t bring as much energy as they could!

  13. I think our student section averages about a 5 maybe 6. I think we could get a bunch more people to come if we made it fun and everyone engaged and cheered! Our student section also varies on the event that is happening. I think we could better our student section by making it more fun and always inviting and making everyone no matter who they are feel welcomed!!

  14. Usually our student section is really good. But our first home game wasn’t that good. They started at like an 8 but then they just stopped cheering and just sat down. So it was like a 5. It helps when they are always cheering. I think it’s important to be in school spirt and more people to show up to get it better.

  15. I would rate are student section about a 6 out of 10. It isn’t that hype sometimes and people just go to start drama. They only get excited at the begging and lose the spark near the end. Also the themes could be a little better.

  16. I would rate are student section a 5 because at volleyball games it’s not the best but at football games it is a little better I wish more people would show up so we could have more intensity.

  17. 2 I don’t think our student section is really into the game at all but when they are told to get up by like the cheerleaders or mascot they finally stand up. I think it’s important to be into the game and cheering on as much as we can

  18. I rate my school’s student section a 6/10, it gets the job done. I think that we are a good group of good size that can make some noise, but there is some improvement to be made. Mostly with everyone making noise, there is two main areas of students and only one actually cheers and seems to care for the game. The other section could maybe step it up and be louder.

  19. I think our student section is pretty good at home games and away games but there could be alot more people but like the blog said people think its goofy and childish.

  20. I think that having spirit is important because it’s a really good habit to Cheer for your team and let them know you are there for them

  21. I would say our school spirit is a 8. The loud crowd is very good about bringing spirit to the games. We always have certain people coming to games and making sure to cheer the players on.

  22. I’d rate ours as a 6/10, when we’re winning there’s an incredibly amount of positivity, encouragement, and general loudness from our student section, on the other hand, it becomes dead silent if we’re losing. To improve this we need to keep up the positive encouragement even if we’re losing, the game isn’t over until it’s over.

  23. our student section is about a 5-6 out of 10. Most people don’t want to go to games since we already know the outcome but when they don’t and we are playing a good team they go and don’t get too rowdy but there isn’t much one person can do besides create a spirit team.

  24. 5 or 6 I feel like our student section isn’t engaged as much as they should be. They don’t stand unless they are told too.

  25. I’d rate my school around a 8 it depends on what school we play, if it’s really intense or not and if it a not so intense game everyone still cheers just maybe not as much.

  26. I’d rate my school around a 8-10 some days when we play an intense game the crowd is way more intense, and if it’s not we’re still loud but just not so much, we could definitely work on that

  27. I think our school spirit is an 8. We definitely have room to grow. Our loud crowd is pretty good. Some people don’t really participate in spirit weeks though.

  28. I would rate our student section like a 5. Not as many people show up as in the past. A lot of the people who do go aren’t very loud and they could have more energy. Some do yell though and it is a lot of fun

  29. 8.5 because they are hyped when we’re winning, even when we’re losing their hyped, but sometimes they can be dull.

  30. I would rate our student section at a solid 8. We start our own cheers to and don’t wait for the cheerleaders to start them. To build student spirit we can talk about it at school more and make the themes better so everyone has a chance to participate.

  31. I would rate our student section at a solid 8. We start our own cheers to and don’t wait for the cheerleaders to start them. To build student spirit we can talk about it at school more and make the themes better so everyone has a chance to participate. And make up new cheers also.

  32. High school spirit is very important, the athletes thrive off people cheering for them me personally I feel having screaming fans makes me play better then if it were quite when people are cheering you on it makes you feel good and that your doing something great for your school and community

  33. I would rate our student section a 9 at football games but at other sports probably a 6 or 7. I think I can help school spirt be better by trying to convince more people to come to things and support all sports girls and boys.

  34. I think our student section would be like a 7 because we have a good section at home games but away games it’s kind of weak. We do have good cheers though. I think to build more school spirit I could offer people rides to the away games to get more people out there.

  35. I would rate it a solid 3 when we have one. The first step to building spirit would be to show up to these games, preferably with friends to gather a bigger group. Then simply just be loud and positive for our team is all it really takes.

  36. I have no clue how to rate our student section because I haven’t been to a game yet. And I think to build school spirit you have to get everyone together and get everyone hyped up during a game and figure out things to do or say during games.

  37. We have a very small and quiet student section, i can see how if we have a larger student section that is getting into the game and showing our support and spirit we will help the team hyping them up.

  38. I would rate us about a 6 on the school spirt. We could create better themes for the games and maybe hype up the sports teams so people want to come to the games.

  39. On a scale of 1-10 I would rate my schools student section a 2 out of 10 because there are very few students cheering it is more parents. There are a few things that the students interact in though it is only occasionally. To build my schools student spirit, I would ask the parents that used to go to the school when they were younger to tell me what traditions they did for a basketball game, football game, volleyball game, cross crountry meet. Then I would try to bring thoughs traditions back.

  40. i would rate are student section i give it a 6 out of 10 there was like 300 stuff there more that would be light but people are lam

  41. Sometimes my schools student section is pretty good and other times it’s not. My school thinks it is embarrassing to participate they think it isn’t cool. So it’s frustrating as an athlete seeing that not a lot of people encourage you.

  42. I would rate our school a 7 because there is usually a substantial amount of energy. The way we can build more spirit is by more people leading student cheering.