Friday night lights turned into Friday night fights by the end of football season with hostility between the football team and the “Hype Squad,” but with good reason.
Starting in August it is expected that you be at every home game to support our football team and pay your five dollars to stand in the bleachers being smushed between sweaty bodies for two hours.
Students have all memorized the cheers that the trashcan drums bang all night long. School spirit is awesome, don’t get me wrong, but it seems that it is only for football. People will go to other games that they aren’t promoted as much as football and the hype is seriously lacking.
On a Friday in November, our football and cheer senior night took place. Also that night, two undefeated teams South County and Lake Braddock went head to head. Our hypesquad seemed to thin out as the night went on, with people venturing off to Lake Braddock to watch their game. That night, the football coach Jason Eldredge sent out a tweet complaining that his boys are disappointed with the limited amount of support there was that night, which was understandable being that it was Senior Night.
On the other hand, all of our other sports have games and need as much support as football. Volleyball almost went to States and it seemed that they finally started getting support after the regular season. I guess that’s what you call “Fair Weather” fans. Personally, I think that other sports should receive the same amount of respect that football does. It’s not fair to the entire WS sport community.
We are a community, not just one group of people. Football games are very fun, but other ones can be as well. Even on the morning announcements it sounds like football is the only thing you should care about. “There is a home field hockey, volleyball, and track meet, but…Spartans! We have a home football game tonight so wear white: it’s a whiteout! Come and support your football team!”
I understand the football team goes through hell and back to get to the level they are at, but I want to see our other teams get as much love as them. Our marching band won States! How awesome is that? We need to give them a shout-out as loudly as we cheer for the football team.
I love Spartan football, don’t get me wrong, I’m in the front row every game screaming my head off, but when can we do that at other games? You can’t spell Spartan community without unity, so let’s unite and make other sports feel just as loved.