Spirit Matters: Impact of School Pride on Sports Performance

MC Savage, staff writer

An excited student section is often a defining feature of a high school football game, and school spirit has a large impact on the games. ​Forget about the fancy football plays, school pride may be the real key to sports success.​ Student sections are known to lift morale and getting involved in other school events like Homecoming and Friday Night Spikes make it possible to do the same.  

In high school, a typical experience is going to a school football game on a Friday night. The atmosphere at these games is exciting and enjoyable, most of the time depending on the size of the student section. The student section is a place to socialize and show off school spirit to encourage the team. 

“To student-athletes, school spirit can make a huge difference. What ​could possibly​ be more motivational than having a significant portion of your school cheer on the sidelines while you play your heart out?” writes Madeleine Kashkooli, on the article “A More Expansive Vision of School Spirit”. Students’ willingness to show out for the team motivates players to do better during the games, promoting athletic success for the team. 

Football is not the only school event to get excited about, as participating in other activities through the school is also a way to support school spirit. Some of these activities include other sporting events or ​Homecoming​. John’s Creek has its very own events to get the student body involved, like a show-off volleyball game called Friday Night Spikes between the boys’ football team and the girls’ volleyball team. Getting involved in school events fosters a sense of community within a school, and it is important to show out for John’s Creek’s hard-working teams. 

 “I love schools that have great student sections. I think they are the key to a school and give a lot of excitement to the community,” says Coach Jim Rowell, the head football coach at Johns Creek. Rowell explains the importance of students getting involved in the school and the impacts of positive energy on student athletes.  

Sports are not the only events the student body can get involved in, and John’s Creek offers a Homecoming week as well. Homecoming is a great chance to come together as a school to build a positive environment and increase student engagement.  

“When the crowd gets going, the team gets going,” claims Jake Blackwelder, sophomore student and the starting quarterback on the Johns Creek football team.  The more involved students are with the school, the greater the school’s pride is. This pride is what sports teams need as motivation.  

Utilizing these school events creates more school spirit and excitement, lifting and encouraging the sports teams and promoting positive outcomes. It is crucial to support schools in activities because helping players feel more confident and creating a sense of community at a school plays a monumental role in the overall experiences of both the players and the student body. Making school and the activities a better thing by creating a community of excited students can only increase school spirit and help to create vital encouragement to motivate an athlete’s performance.