Question: Who holds the responsibility of keeping school traditions alive and well and passed along to the next generation? Answer: Cheerleaders!
It’s a heavy burden to bear, but the rewards are great and there is tons of fun to be had along the way. School traditions are unique to each school. Some schools boast traditions as simple as everyone wearing a specific color when playing the rival team or all former cheerleaders and dancers joining in for a cheer or dance that has remained the same over the years. Others take a more extreme route with events like “pie a teacher”. The goal is the same no matter how big or small the tradition… Maintain school spirit!
Creating new school traditions can also be a great way to bring your squad and student body together. Try to identify something that will allow the entire student body to participate. Once you have come up with a great idea for your new tradition, clear your idea with your coach and then the school administration. A good rule of thumb is school traditions should not break any school rules or promote bad sportsmanship. Don’t be afraid to think big! Many schools have traditions that include their rival school like a traveling trophy or cheerleaders providing dinner for the winning cheer team of the big rivalry game.
Furthermore, school traditions do not have to be tied to sporting events. Again, keep in mind it’s all about bringing the student body together. For some schools, there are better ways to accomplish this goal than sports. For instance, create a “students versus faculty showdown”. Non-sporting activities can include things like a pie eating contest, a family feud style trivia game, or an annual costume contest.
There are many ways to make your school tradition one that will stand the test of time, but mainly it just takes a commitment.
C – Commitment. Sometimes it takes years for a tradition to truly become embedded in a school or organization. Be persistent.
O – Often imitated, never duplicated. A great tradition will wow others, but is so unique to your school that it can’t really be duplicated.
M – Momentum. Create a buzz about the event, allowing you to build up to your event.
M – Magnify. Magnify your schools strengths… if football is your thing… start there when thinking about traditions. It is easy to create a tradition around an area where your school or organization excels.
I – Interest. It is very important to create an event that will actually interest the student body or community.
T – Think outside of the box. Be creative in developing your new tradition or carrying out your old traditions
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