Some of the stereotypes of high school are the adrenaline rushing, Friday night football games where the crowd is roaring and the student section is screaming out in school spirit. Freedom isn’t known for its overwhelming expression of support by its students, especially when it comes to sports.
Looking back at past years, the interest in a student section was nonexistent. Many students within the past couple of years have truly attempted to get some more pep in the Bulldog step.
“The past three years, there was no student section at all and I couldn’t really do anything about it because I wasn’t a senior. I always loved supporting my friends and classmates and wanted to overachieve that by getting everyone there and wanted to get everyone involved,” Anthony Thompson, former student section leader, said when expressing his involvement in the student section.
Freedom has over ten actively competing sports within the school year, yet only a handful have ever had serious support from the student body. During the regular season, the girls’ soccer team didn’t have a student section. Despite this, they won 14 games, lost six and tied one, which led them to become section champs. They concluded the 2014 season going
“15-10” which made them the WPIAL “runner-up.”
“We are not a big team, but we are all close and all of the fans really pump us up. All of us have put in a lot of hard work this summer and the support will really spark our season this year. We are held to a very high standard, and the support would be tremendous,” Sophomore Myla Sharpless expressed when commenting on the desire for a student section.
Although there have been successful seasons in past years without the support of the student body, the desire from the athletes is the formation of a consistent and supportive student section.
“When they are excited and cheering, it makes me want to perform better,” Senior Nick Henderson explained when commenting on the effects of the student section on athletes. Henderson is a three sport athlete, football, baseball, and basketball.
The change in the attitude and the validation that support gives the athletes, helps them push through their struggles.
Lately, the student section “leaders” have tried a new tactic to try to get more participation. Themed football games have recently come into play and have had a positive response.
“I believe that themes do work and it seems like people like them. I have had the themes placed on DTV,but the word could still get out more,” stated Noah Wolf, a current student section leader, stated when talking about the impact of themes on the student section.
Now that the fall sports season is in full swing, it’s the perfect to participate in supporting our athletes. By watching DTV and following @hypesection2k16 on Twitter, you’ll be notified on student section themes and activities before each week’s game. There is a sense of longing for support within the FHS athletics, and the 2016-2017 sports season is an opportunity to show the athletes support for all their hard work and determination.