Spirit Ideas for Football

Team football means more than carrying a ball across a goal line. It's about teamwork, discipline, community, pride and fans. Spectators at football games can make or break a team's drive and concentration. There is truly a home-field advantage when teams play on their own turf, because they have more fans and more reason to win. There are lots of ways to show your football team spirit for all ages.

  1. Schools

    • Junior and high school football teams often have extremely proud and supportive fans. There are lots of fun and inexpensive ways to get students and parents excited about their team and showing spirit. Students love in-school pep rallies because they get to miss some schoolwork and cheer with their friends. This spirit showing also affects the team itself by giving them confidence and a verbal show of support. Giving out t-shirts, foam fingers and signs at pep rallies gives students reasons to go the game and cheer. Having a spirit cookout or party before a game gives parents and neighbors a chance to join in and get psyched up about the game.

    Colleges

    • At the college level, football sometimes overshadows education, especially around the end of the season. People tailgate on campus or near the field hours and hours before the games to celebrate, laugh, drink and eat together. Making signs, passing out shirts and teaching people chants will get them ready to scream their heads off at the game. Offer students rewards for going to games by giving them discounts or free items for their used ticket stubs.

    Painting

    • Face and body painting are great ways to show team spirit, especially if it's freezing cold. Paint your face with your team's colors or your favorite players' numbers to show support. If you're more adventurous, paint your whole body with the team's colors, half one color, half the other. With a group of friends, paint letters on your chests and/or backs spelling out encouraging messages for your team or just their name.

    Crowd Control

    • Getting the crowd into the game, even if their team is losing, can change the game. Noisemakers, bells, horns, and whistles get people screaming and bump their spirit levels to new heights. Cheerleaders should cheer and work the crowd by leading with slogans, chants or songs. Crowds can work together to show their spirit in a magnificent display by doing a wave, making shapes in the bleachers or doing a team dance. Some teams even have arm gestures that represent their motto.