Get involved

Madison Teel, Staff Writer

High school has always been said to be the best time of our lives. The football games, school dances, pep rallies, and parties are a major factor of what makes high school great.  However, when no one participates in these activities the level of fun and excitement is severely diminished. Not only does it have an effect on the overall mood and environment of the event, but at sports games, it affects the way the team plays. So, why does such a large population of students at WHS not like to get involved?

Imagine this: you’re playing a football game in front of hundreds of your fellow students, hometown friends, and close family. It’s a neck and neck game against one of our rivals, and you make an amazing play to score the winning touchdown! However, when you look up in the bleachers all you see are blank faces. Your excitement turns into disappointment and your attitude and adrenaline pushing you to play well severely decreases. This is how our football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, and softball teams feel at many of their games. It may be hard to understand how standing up, cheering, and dressing up to support our school helps any of the teams, but it truly has a major impact on how they play.

The more yelling and excitement we radiate from the stands only encourages the teams to play harder to bring back a win to our school. When asked how a loud and involved student section makes players of all teams feel, almost all of them had the same response. 

“A good student section and loud crowd gives me more energy and makes me want to play harder,” senior Varsity football player Keshawn Anderson said. “But when no one is involved, it feels like no one is there. We’re basically just practicing, which is boring.”

Not only does a quiet group of people affect the way our teams may play, but it makes the game boring for us. So, the one solution to this problem? Get involved! Dress up for the games, stand up, jump around, and cheer as loud as you can. You’re only in high school once in your life, so make sure to make it memorable.