At Berkeley High School, school spirit can vary depending on the sport and the crowd. However, its presence, or absence, can make a real difference for athletes.
BHS athletic director Ross Parker stated that he has noticed a big improvement in school spirit since he started as the athletic director in 2019. At first, football games drew very few fans and volleyball matches were quiet, but now volleyball crowds regularly fill the gym, water polo games reach standing room only, and football averages more than 1,000 attendees, with some games topping 2,000.
Parker explained the effect of the crowd on athletes. “Especially in the stadium, when you have a lot of people there and it’s really crowded, it feels like the kids get less tired, like they’re really into it, they like to turn around the crowd and try to hype them up,” Parker said, “Our (volleyball) team was down 0-2 and then they won the third game because it was so loud, and I think they were inspired to play better.”
Parker also acknowledged problems. “Sometimes, yes, I have beef with our student section … There are certain chants that I hate. I think they’re disrespectful, misogynistic,” Parker said, “You’ll hear ‘Daddy’s money’ chants and stuff like that. And I just really hate that, because it’s just a stereotype. And I also try to tell the kids in the stands, we’re one of the most privileged high schools in the area. So it just makes no sense,” Parker added.
Junior girls basketball athlete Akasha Manandhar describes a different experience, “For girls basketball, (school spirit) is not very existent, because I feel like, especially for girls sports, there’s less of an emphasis to come and support your teams, whereas for bigger teams, like boys football and boys basketball, there’s usually a bigger outcome of crowd,” Manandhar said.
“School spirit has declined a little bit, especially just (because) teachers and admin have really cracked down on Rally Day (Red and Gold Day). And I think with school spirit comes school pride,” Manandhar said, “I’ve learned that you can’t really listen to the stands, because it’ll affect your performance negatively, usually, but sometimes they can also cheer you on and give you a boost of confidence and pride during the game.”
BHS junior Lucas Darzacq on the swim team described his perspective. “(The atmosphere is) really fun, and it’s a riveting community, and I really gain a sense of camaraderie with my classmates,” Darzacq said, “I just really like to see my peers wishing well for the team, and so it just really inspires not only me but the whole team to try our best and really give the people a reason to show up.”
He acknowledges that spirit hasn’t always stayed consistent. “I heard in earlier years, there was a lot more cheering and spirit. But nowadays, it’s kind of died down. But hopefully we can gain it back this year,” Darzacq said.
Darzacq believes the solution is having more students in the stands. “I think more people just need to show up. You know, get your friends, get your family, just pull up, have a nice vibe, because there’s nothing worse than looking up and seeing that there’s nobody there. We don’t like seeing empty spots in the bleachers. We want it full. We want it packed with more energy,” Darzacq said.
Overall, school spirit and Jacket pride is alive, but its future depends on the students and community members who fill the stands.