While at a football game, senior Parsa Hashemi gets the student section riled up as he waves a school flag and starts a chant when the clock hits zero in the fourth quarter with a Wootton lead.
Sports games build a sense of community as students can all show school spirit just by simply showing up, as everyone roots for the same common goal of a Wootton victory, it brings people together. On top of that, students can wear the game’s theme and show spirit by cheering on whatever team is playing. Junior Jonas Klein said, “I show spirit by wearing the theme and being loud.”
The community built by sports also comes down to where students stand while at these games. At the most popular sports games for students, like football and basketball games, there is a designated section for students called the student section where almost every student at the game stands and brings students together. “I stand in the student section with all my friends. That’s where the most energy is,” Klein said, who has attended both football and basketball games.
Students may also be connected at these sporting events because they are rooting for people they may not even know, strengthening the bond between students from different groups or backgrounds. It can boost everyone’s sense of belonging within the school community as everyone is rooting for the same cause. “Attending games makes me feel more connected because not only am I cheering on my friends, but I am also cheering on people I don’t even know, and overall, I am just supporting the school,” Klein said.
Besides attending games, being on a sports team can also create a connection with people and a community itself. When a bunch of people come together and all strive for a similar goal, which in this case may be winning a game or becoming more skilled in a certain sport, a connection forms with those people. Sophomore Samir Ako-Adjei said, “It’s only my sophomore year, but I played for Wootton basketball last year. I think that being on a Wootton sports team builds a sense of community because I feel that I fit in around the basketball guys, and we’re all working to get better and go out and win games.”
Pep rallies can also build a sense of community throughout the school. Everyone gathers in the stadium to learn when the next sports games are and the different teams build up hype for their next event. Junior Danielle Rubin said, “I think that pep rallies increase students’ energy for upcoming games and it gets them hyped.”
On the contrary, to some people, pep rallies may be boring as they don’t feed off others’ energy to get excited about upcoming games. Still, though, they can serve as a way for students to learn about when and where certain sports teams are playing. “I don’t think they do a good job of changing the energy surrounding sports games and getting people excited, but they do a good job of spreading awareness of schedules and game days,” Ako-Adjei said.
