High School Team Spirit Ideas

School administrators cite school spirit as an important ingredient in developing a sense of community and fighting student detachment. The common rallying point for high school students is the pride that comes from banding together in your school colors and cheering on your team. You can promote your school, team and fan spirit dozens of ways throughout the year.

  1. Locker Decorating

    • Welcome the freshmen each fall, introducing them to high school life and sports by decorating their lockers with posters and other accessories. This can make them feel like a part of the school community right away.

      You can also decorate the lockers of team players the morning before the big game. This lets them know the school stands behind them.

    Spirit Rallies

    • Hold a kickoff spirit rally at the beginning of the school year. If possible, hold rallies once a month throughout the school year. Before a big game, you should hold an evening spirit rally that's open to parents and the rest of the local community.

      During these rallies, have the band play the school fight song, and have the cheerleaders perform their halftime routine as the players are introduced. Hold various contests that turn the spectators into participants. Divide the gym into class sections (freshman, sophomore, juniors and seniors), and have each class compete in a cheering contest. The winning class can get a spirit stick to keep until the next rally.

      Create other class competitions such as musical chairs or tricycle races across the gym. For added fun, have teachers and administrators participate. Teacher danceoffs can be incredibly fun.

    Spirit Week

    • Schedule a spirit week leading up to the team's big game. Give each class a hallway to decorate, and present the most spirited class with an award at the end of the week.

      Designate each day as a themed dress day. For example, you can have a pajama day, a 1970s day or an opposite day.
      Hold a community bonfire rally the night before the big game.

    Share the Spirit

    • Nothing builds team enthusiasm like a common goal. While winning the game is one goal, coming together for a community service project can also unite a school.

      Hold a food drive during a home game. Ask each fan to bring a food item to be donated to your local food pantry. To create competition, have class bins at the gate or door, and see which class collects the most donations.

      Hold a 50/50 raffle at home games. The raffle winner takes half the pot, and the other half can go to a different local charity each game.

      Coordinate a “school mascot spirit of kindness” program. Announce to the student body, teachers and administrators that your school's cheerleaders are practicing acts of kindness. They can give out little “mascot spirit of kindness” cards (printed with a picture of the school mascot) when they see someone else performing an act of kindness. The recipient then passes along the card when to someone else who performs a kind act.