We hear there’s a “rebirth” of Spartan Spirit, yet attendance at non-sanctioned school sport competitions is still at a low. It’s about time these teams get the credit they deserve.

When was the last time you heard the faculty cheer on the crew or rugby team on the loud speaker?

 I know it’s been a while since I have. All these non-sanctioned sports teams don’t get the credit they deserve.

 Crew, rugby, ice hockey and dance are four teams that are not technically school sports. That means the Virginia High School League doesn’t sanction them, and so they can’t be Varsity sports, so players must pay much more than the average student on a school-sponsored sports team.

With that being said, students hear more about the boys’ basketball team winning their mere three games this year over the dance team becoming national champions.

There’s definitely something wrong with that picture, whether the school pays for the team or not shouldn’t matter at all.

In reality, our class members are competing in these games, regattas, and tournaments that go for the most part unmentioned, and students and faculty should cheer on fellow students whether they’re school sponsored or not.

Although these non-sanctioned sports don’t have astounding outcomes when it comes to their fan bases, it’s not for lack of trying.

Sophomore Reagan Douglas sends out emails to teachers and students before every match, encouraging more attention for the rugby team.

The dance and crew teams also crave Spartan attendance at competitions by dressing up or wearing their gear on game day.

They hope to encourage people to come, yet, some sports such as ice hockey and rugby don’t even have links on Spartan Sports, creating even less of a chance that students would know about their games.

Why is it that students get together and paint their stomachs for mediocre football games, yet don’t get off their couches on a Saturday morning to be a spectator at a hockey game, rugby match, crew regatta, or dance competition?

 Our school spirit has been questioned in the past few years, yet Spartan Spirit seems to finally be on a comeback.

 Why should we discriminate against non-sanctioned school sports? Let’s put on our Spartan gear and give them the credit they deserve!