By Summer Crawford
Staff Writer
“You let the whole team down!” These are not words that one would expect to hear out of Coppell students’ mouths
towards a different team. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the reality in the beloved Coppell student section.
The CHS student section has been a zone for students with school spirit who are looking to have fun, not afraid to be loud and proud. With every school comes its own individual rituals and special characteristics that make that school stand out and shine. For CHS, it has been the student section.
For several years, students have been eager to participate in the aura of energy that the student section gives off at all the athletic games. This was likely created as a group full of positivity and a chance for people to support each other. People bond through this tight-knit community, and our student section has been deemed “the best in Texas,” by the student body at CHS, complete with its own new spirit shirts with this logo. Recently we seem to have diverged to a different path.
After going to a couple of home games this year, I have noticed a clear transition in behavior and attitudes among the CHS student body. Gone is the polite behavior and courtesy that should always be given to opposing teams. Gone is the positive environment that once defined the student section. As of today, I fear the student section has gone overboard.
It is great to have school spirit and be proud to embody your school’s team. I understand being cheerful and rowdy is part of the high school experience. But what is not appropriate is when students start exhibiting offensive behavior and have disrespectful attitudes. Spirit goes wrong when the end goal becomes more about putting the other school down than lifting our team up. Since when did we become that mean bully, that group of kids in school who give the school’s name a bad rep?
What people do not realize is that the way the section acts affect those around them. The student section participants are representing the whole town of Coppell through their actions. Poor decisions like behaving in an immature manner during games have left their mark on schools not in the Coppell ISD, and even on students who attend CHS. I know this is not who we truly are.
Some students have become rude whenever they see fit. Booing and poor sportsmanship are like a disease, spreading throughout the students until the majority of the student section has adopted these actions.
Just a few days ago, I stood in the Coppell stadium and witnessed one of these actions. As the Hebron football team prepared to storm the field and come crashing through their banner, the entire Coppell student section, in one swift motion, turned their bodies around so their backs were facing the field. I myself am guilty of getting caught up in the moment and turning my back to the opposing team. I realize now how easy it is to go along with the crowd, that this was poor sportsmanship, and I should have acted differently.
I do not know where our student section took a wrong turn. But I believe that there is still hope. We can get back our old, more respectful spirit and show people that we are truly the best student section in Texas. Whether Coppell is winning or losing, we should treat everyone with respect. For example, we should not call out individual opposing team members for their mistakes, but instead focus more on positively supporting our team and cheering them on.
I urge people to take a step back and pause for a second. I want people to look at the consequences of their actions and to contemplate whether this is the type of student section they want to create. Do not follow the crowd, but instead lead it in a positive manner.
In order for CHS to make a change, people need to be aware of what goes on in the student section. We just do not always show our best side in the student section. There is still an abundance of polite people at CHS, and there are still hundreds of people with positive intentions. Bring your best!
