Exploring University Prep’s school spirit through sports, or the lack thereof

People have been talking about this game for days in advance, and here it is, the big night. Excitement runs rampant through the stands. It is Friday night football at Mercer Island High School. The bleachers are full, and the student section is overflowing with maroon and white-clothed students. People have whipped out the facepaint, and have left their seats to crowd the lowest rows as they cheer their throats raw. Hearts are racing, while school spirit gushes over the crowd.

Things look a little different here at University Prep. At a typical game of any sport, few devoted parents grace the bleachers with their butts. Friends of the teammates may come to show their love, and the occasional bored sophomore may stop by when he or she has nothing else to do. Student support is weak, and the cheering is unenthusiastic at best.

Case in point, U Prep does not resemble many high schools when it comes to spirit.

Senior Joe Klemencic has played U Prep sports on and off during his high school career, but athletically-speaking has devoted the majority of his time to golf, a sport which U Prep doesn’t offer. Klemencic makes the after-school journey each day in the fall to nearby Roosevelt High School — a large, public school — in order to play the sport he loves on Roosevelt’s team.

In fact, Klemencic said that even if U Prep had a golf team, he would be unquestionably be upset about being forced to leave the Roosevelt team in order to join per state policy.

“I think students can take a lot more pride in their sports if the teams are good, not just successful relative to the competition of the league,” Klemencic said. U Prep plays in the 1A Emerald City League, which is much smaller than the 3A Metro League, the league that Roosevelt plays in. Regardless of the quality of U Prep teams, the opponents will almost always be weaker as compared to a league with bigger schools.

Klemencic mentioned that the Roosevelt golf team is 7-0 on the season. “Even for golf stuff at Roosevelt, we get like at least 15 students per match. Roosevelt students are very enthusiastic about all of their sports.”

Klemencic added that one reason he believes the competitiveness at Roosevelt is better is due to the school allowing sports cuts. “It makes kids try harder,” he said.

However much having athletic cuts might help competitiveness, and perhaps in turn, spirit, U Prep’s no cut policy undeniably has its own perks for spirit and camaraderie. “It’s an inclusive program,” said Athletic Director Rebecca Moe. “A lot of times kids get the opportunity to play here that they might not have had at a bigger school.”

Moe was also quick to point out that the school is relatively limited athletically by its environment. “We’re urban. We don’t look it but we’re urban. The only facility we own is the Pumadome. We rent everything else, and we’re at the mercy of those relationships and availability to private schools.”

Moe also made it clear that despite her sports-focused role at the school, she likes that U Prep has a “well-rounded experience.”

“Arts and athletics and academics are celebrated equally,” said Moe. “I want the kid that wants to be the shortstop but also have a role in the play.” Moe said this balance helps serve students well after they leave U Prep.

While Moe referred to a certain definition of well-rounded, some students view the ideal balance as more sports centric. Cate Rogerson and Whitney Nagle attended U Prep for Middle School and switched to Roosevelt for high school. Rogerson said, “Part [of my decision to leave] was sports-related because I like the Roosevelt soccer team and their program there, and they have a football team and U Prep doesn’t have that.”

Rogerson said that students are very spirited and supportive at their school’s sports game. “There’s always a ton of people who show up to the games and they’re cheering everyone on. Basically they provide a ton of support for the school and it’s a way for the school to come together.” Whitney Nagle added that people are very “spirited” at Roosevelt, and she did not see that at U Prep.

Rogerson said that the competitive program at Roosevelt adds something to the experience: “I think having a more competitive program also gives you a chance to play with seniors and juniors that have known the school really well so it’s a good way to get welcomed into the school,” she said. Both Rogerson and Nagle agreed that sports unify people at their school.

Emerson Schulz, a senior at Mercer Island High School, agreed that school sports are a major part of his school experience, and of the culture generally. He participates in basketball and track at MIHS. “[Sports] make me feel a part of the environment…sports make [school] fun,” Schulz said. The student body is very supportive of its teams. Schulz said that the big Friday night basketball games draw “a full gym” of “maroon and white” clad student support.

MIHS sports were even a part of Schulz’s life prior to high school. Schulz said, “I probably went to half the high school football games when I was in the youth football program [in middle school].”

Today, sports contribute to a large part of Schulz’s everyday life. Schulz said that without sports there would be “less school spirit [and there would be] less to get excited about” at school.

It is important to note that MIHS students have an easier time attending games, being that they are a district school and everyone lives on Mercer Island. U Prep, however, has students commuting from all reaches of the greater Seattle area. Students need to catch their bus or their rides in order to make it home through traffic, and cannot stay at their leisure for sporting events.

The lack of student pride at U Prep has been noticed by student leaders. ASB President Merone Hadush said, “In general our school is not as spirited as I would hope.” She said that ASB creates ways to bring spirit to the school including the “class cup events that happen for sporting games on various days.”

“Sports and those who play them only make up a portion of our student body, so to have spirit only focused on sports just ignores everyone else who don’t participate in those activities,” said Hadush. Due to this, ASB looks to alternate ways to bring spirit to U Prep

Some of Hadush’s goals for this year are to run fun events that bring the school together. These include allotting class cup points for arts events, candygrams, movie nights and more.

Events like these don‘t include sports, but are alternatives to instill school pride in students.

Junior Mike Baldwin does not see things as optimistically as Hadush. Baldwin doesn’t think that the administration or ASB does enough to foster spirit.

“[The school] is cutting itself off from the potential to have a school where students are proud to go where they are, and people want to be ‘University Prep Pumas.’”

By: Isaac Glasser and Yoela Zimberoff – Additional Reporting By Kai Milici