Friday Night Lights, One Tree Hill, High School Musical. The small town American vision of communities all coming together on a Friday night to cheer on the local high school is often romanticized in popular media. However, why can’t that also happen right here in Rockville, Maryland? Looking to boost community engagement and school spirit at sporting events, poms coach Mia Krawczel and the athletics department have introduced a new initiative to do just that: Spirit Games.

Targeted toward families and this school’s cluster students, select “Spirit Games” offer free admission for children ages 11 and under as well as speciality food trucks, performances, booster-sponsored merchandise sales and on-field activities.

While the boys’ varsity football team fell to the Walter Johnson Wildcats 27-20 on Friday, Sept. 26, the first Spirit Game was a success, showcasing a strong turnout from the surrounding community. Young girls from nearby cluster schools, including Fallsmead Elementary, Lakewood Elementary, Dufief Elementary, Traville Elementary, Stone Mill Elementary, Cold Spring Elementary, Robert Frost Middle and Cabin John Middle (all of which will partially or fully feed into this high school) participated in the annual Mini Cheer Camp, proudly dancing alongside this school’s cheerleaders. In combining the two events, Mini Cheer Camp and Spirit Games, the athletics department was able to generate one of the largest attendance crowds seen in recent years. “I know the little girls definitely had fun cheering with us. It was cool seeing their parents and families all excited,” junior cheerleader Winnie Kelly said.

According to Krawczel, the goal of Spirit Games is to get kids excited about the potential opportunities they will have in high school sports. This high school, like many in MCPS, offers 31 varsity sports, a huge jump from the only four sports offered across MCPS middle schools. Spirit Games offers a unique chance for kids to gain exposure to different sports early on. For instance, on Oct. 13, girls’ flag football faces off against the Whitman Vikings in another Spirit Game. During halftime, elementary and middle school fans will have the opportunity to compete on the field, running from the 25-yard line to the 50-yard line, putting on a flag belt and then hitting a target with a football. “Hopefully it generates excitement about the possibility of different sports, ” Krawczel said.

Senior and SGA co-president Ryan Shin agrees, with an additional benefit of Spirit Games being to build excitement about the overall high school experience. “There is definitely a lack of school spirit at this school. Hopefully by getting cluster students interested early we can fix that problem,” Shin said.

From an athlete perspective, having the extra motivation and fan support in the stands can also bring more energy and effort on the field. “I’m really excited to see the turnout for field hockey’s Spirit Game,” junior field hockey player Kate Bardill said.

The next Spirit Game will be on Tuesday Sept. 30 as boys’ varsity soccer takes on the Quince Orchard Cougars.