Taking One for the Team
JAKE NACHMAN | OCT. 10, 2018 | SPORTS
Throughout the year, students show up to pep rallies wearing their class colors and face paint, clutching their noisemakers and pompoms, waiting for the Blue Devil mascot to point his pitchfork towards them so they can break out in screams. They applaud performances from the step team, the dance team and the cheerleaders. This exemplifies the strong school spirit among the student body at Stanton College Preparatory School. The support for Stanton athletics is also shown by the players within these programs in a variety of ways.
“When the girls’ soccer team went to the state championship we all traveled down and supported them as a team,” said senior Cooper Connelly, a midfielder on the boys’ varsity soccer team. “We had been supporting them all year long and even though they didn’t get the win, it was still a great experience.”
According to Connelly, showing support for other athletic teams is an important aspect of the boys’ soccer team. When their female counterparts were able make it to the 2017 Girls’ 3A Varsity Soccer State Championship, the boys were in the crowd cheering for them. From his own experience playing, Connelly said seeing other people in the audience at his own games, especially people from his own school, gave him motivation while playing. By attending the games of other teams, he is hoping to reciprocate this feeling. This strategy has proven to be successful, causing some students to feel supported during their matches.
“The support brought on more confidence,” said senior Avery Hatfield, a forward on the girls’ varsity soccer team. “It made us feel that, even though we were the ones playing, the people who showed up to the game and cheered us on became part of the team as well.”
While the girls’ soccer team had no shortage of support from their fans at the championship game because of its importance, when the stakes of the game are significantly lower there are less people in attendance.
“The crowd at the championship game was huge in comparison to the crowd at regular season games,” said junior Isabela Brunner, a midfielder for the girls’ varsity soccer team. “There were so many people and they would shout actual cheers. At the regular season games, it was just our parents mostly so they weren’t as hype as everyone was at the championshipship game.”
“When we show spirit and support for our football players and our basketball players it directs the school to do the same thing.”
The audience contributes to the emotions felt during a sporting event. When a wide receiver catches the game winning touchdown, the crazed reactions of the fans help make the moment unforgettable. If there was no one in the stands reacting to the events unfolding, each play might not feel as significant. When competitors see small crowds and little support, some of them get the feeling that no one cares about their sports team. These feelings can then negatively impact how well they perform during their games.
“Whenever I go to a game and there are only a few people that show up, I feel very disheartened because it makes me feel like nobody cares about the team,” said sophomore Daniel Poorian, a defender on the junior varsity boys’ soccer team.
To fix this problem, student athletes take the time out of their own day to go to another team’s game so they can cheer them on. Some sports teams have developed agreements to go to each others matches and encourage them.
“Baseball has a deal with the volleyball team to go to each other’s home games as a way to show support and unity for each other,” said junior Chris Shami, a member of Stanton’s junior varsity boys’ baseball team.
Athletes show their support at each other’s games in various ways. Some of them hold up signs that reflect their support of a specific player. Cheerleaders excite the crowd and pump up the players through their cheers and dance routines. These actions reflect the pride these students have for their team.
“I believe cheerleading is important because when we show spirit and support for our football players and our basketball players it directs the school to do the same thing,” said senior Jaelyn Morris, a varsity cheerleader.
In addition to making appearances at games, players spend time with each other during the sports season. A relationship is formed between these students who may not have met each other if not for their involvement in athletic programs.
“I have captured some of my best friends from playing sports here at Stanton,” said Connelly. “During the sports season you are with those people after school from 3 to 6 p.m. nonstop. You form these bonds that can’t be broken and you gain these friendships on and off the field.”
The involvement of students at Stanton in various programs at the school creates school spirit and leads to the interconnectedness of the student body. When these athletes are being supportive, even through something as simple as cheering, it is a reflection of the emphasis placed on cooperation and unity in the Stanton community.