Spirited atmosphere enhances game experience

Passionate+Coppell+fans+throw+up+baby+powder+at+the+beginning+of+the+game+to+show+their+spirit%2C+leaving+a+smoky+effect.+Photo+by+Rinu+Daniel.

Passionate Coppell fans throw upwardly baby pulverisation at the beginning of the game to show their spirit, leaving a smoky effect. Photograph by Rinu Daniel.

Passionate Coppell fans throw upward baby powder at the beginning of the game to show their spirit, leaving a smoky effect. Photograph by Rinu Daniel.Excited Coppell students wearing apparel up in Garland band uniforms to intimidate the other team. Photo by Rowan Khazendar.

Past Jordan Bickham
Staff Writer

After a powerful chant of "I believe that we will win," the view of Coppell High School's student section was masked by an explosion of white smoke.  Every bit baby powder floated through the air, the rest of the stadium looked in the management of Coppell'due south student section.   Some watched the outcome in awe, while others looked over in badgerer.

Coppell has recently become known around the area for its passionate pupil section after the Allen game on Sept. 28.  The students have performed a few stunts already this season that have surprised Coppell supporters and other schools alike.  To kickoff off the season, CHS students dressed as hillbillies at the Longview game.  They and so dressed up in Garland band uniforms at the Garland game.

More recently, anybody in the student section at the Allen game obtained white baby powder and threw it up in the air at the end of the "I Believe" chant, with an event similar to a smoke flop.

Although some may view the students every bit crossing the line with their displays of spirit, many, including administration, back up the students' excitement and passion.

"One thing I have to say about the students this yr is that participation and school spirit has probably been the best in the stands since I have been hither, and I take been hither 8 years now," assistant principal Sean Bagley said.  "They [the students] have had more than school spirit equally a group and information technology has been advisable."

The students supporting their team as a whole was the exact goal student department "leaders," such as seniors Coleman Armes, Seth Slover, and Austin Gardner, had in mind.

After watching the seniors of the year before get reprimanded by administration  and the grades existence segregated, Armes wanted to eliminate the separation and focus on supporting the squad.

"I was not playing football anymore, I quit the terminal 24-hour interval of junior year only because I got burned out on it.  So I wanted to do something still involving football game since a lot of my friends play it," Armes said.  "I felt like the student department needed comeback and that it could be a really fun thing that could bring the community attribute back to Coppell."

Even though the students seem to be in complete chaos, the "leaders" of the department take gone to groovy lengths to create, at to the lowest degree, organized chaos inside the educatee department.

Excited Coppell students dress up in Garland band uniforms to intimidate the other team. Photograph by Rowan Khazendar.

"There is a guy with a dry erase board who writes everything up there like, 'be tranquillity' or 'louder,' which I call up is very cool.  [The "leaders"] remind me of, if you have e'er been to an A&Grand game, a yell leader that makes information technology more than organized and gives the section leadership," Bagley said.  "The students in the section follow them instead of doing their own matter and being disrespectful."

The "leaders" also created a Facebook group at the starting time of the year that includes about 200 students from various grade levels.  Members of the group tin postal service ideas for showing school spirit on the page.  The ideas are able to be communicated to every one, also equally finalized for future games.

Just while the displays of support at the games accept remained appropriate, the reactions from students of either team on Twitter and other social media sites take non been as friendly.

"Yous just have to watch what you lot say.  While it is all fun and games, information technology tin can be taken too far, similar with the kid from Allen maxim that he wanted to flop the student department," junior Trent Armstrong said.  "But we were rude too proverb things such every bit, 'who cares, yous guys lost.'"

Even with social media outlets allowing students to say what they want, the brandish of spirit at the games has been regulated to the point where fans tin still show their back up without getting in problem.

From the viewpoint of an opposing school though, Coppell's students seem to get out of line, sometimes giving Coppell a negative connotation.

"A positive aspect of [the student section] is that a lot of teams are intimidated to play at Coppell and it creates a loud environs," Armstrong said. "But the whole rude and 'taking things likewise far' reputation is definitely not the goal."

The student section'due south passion tin give Coppell a bad reputation, but the purpose of our heady pupil section is not about the reputation, intimidating other teams, or going crazy.  The purpose of such an intense section was to connect students and copy the family aspect of CHS.

"I feel like all grades are friendlier to each other this year as opposed to final year.  Nosotros wanted to welcome all iv grades," Armes said.  "I did not want it to be about the class levels.  I wanted it to exist nearly ane school auspicious for our one team."