Image by Ed Uthman, Flickr
Vivid displays of team spirit help many young athletes accomplish great feats during competitive sporting events. When teams appear evenly matched, the ability of one side to foster a high morale among players and supporters sometimes makes a critical difference in the outcome of a game. Consider applying one or more of these ideas to help boost your school spirit on game day.
Teach Everyone Your Team Anthem
One excellent way to encourage a strong school spirit involves sharing a song. By teaching all your team members and fans the words of an anthem, you’ll possess a powerful technique for encouraging players during the game. The sound of spontaneously singing supporters may inspire an athlete on the field to make an exceptional effort.
Competitive sports teams have relied upon this strategy for decades as an effective way to motivate players. Choosing a team or school anthem everyone can sing easily offers a big advantage. Since members of the audience may find themselves breaking into song without any music in the background, lyrics that are easily memorized and sung remain a wise choice.
Demand Polite Conduct at Sporting Events
Another important way to promote a strong school spirit involves maintaining high standards of conduct during games. By encouraging your students and coaches to display polite, respectful conduct towards others, you’ll help unify your team.
Parents, teachers and other visiting guests genuinely appreciate athletic teams displaying sportsmanlike conduct. Few things contribute as much to a successful season as upholding a lofty standard of polite interactions among teammates and rival players.
Use a School Mascot in Costume
Another important way to boost school spirit involves selecting and supporting a colorful school or team mascot like the ones found at Best Mascots. Today, students enjoy many opportunities to select professionally tailored costumes to distinguish these characters.
As players approach a pivotal point in the game, they may take heart seeing a cheering mascot standing on the sidelines waving at the audience. The mascot’s distinctive attire encapsulates the goals and aspirations of the school for its students.
Ask Everyone to Wear Team Colors on Game Day
By encouraging everyone rooting for your team to wear your school’s colors, you’ll provide another visible sign of support for your players. This tactic won’t prove as effective as traveling with a school mascot during away games, but may offer vital morale-building during home matches.
For example, a booster club might consider selling T-shirts in distinctive colors as a way to encourage school spirit. By offering t-shirts and paraphernalia with the logo of your team, you can help unify the crowd. People wearing this attire might even want to sit in the same part of the stadium.
Encourage Friendly Game Social Events
Finally, encouraging friendly game social events, such as ice-cream mixers, provides a great way for team members to become better known to their peers. Periodic pep rallies followed by school social gatherings infuse a sense of camaraderie into athletic meets.
It’s vitally important to maintain a cordial, welcoming attitude on these occasions. By encouraging participation, schools may assist their students in developing better social skills while also boosting the team’s performance.
Regardless of your preferred methods for demonstrating school spirit, it is important to celebrate the benefits of team sports. By ensuring that everyone enjoys the game and displays superb sportsmanship, you’ll help maintain a high morale. Competitive events often inspire exceptional athletic performances. Foster a strong school spirit to help young players excel in sports and in life.
This article was contributed by guest author Emma Sturgis.