The ability to represent one’s pride and school spirit is a gift. Assembling a group to actively come together by wearing the same theme is incredibly motivational, especially from the point of view of the athlete. 

When the Boys’ Soccer team advanced to the State Finals, our spirits shot through the roof with excitement, and the discussion as to what our theme would be quickly commenced. It didn’t take long for a majority to rule in favor of the theme: USA. Nobody on the team objected to the decision. USA is a great theme because it allows people to get creative with their outfits, as opposed to a black-out or a white-out. With the USA theme decided, my teammates and I went about telling friends and family that they should dress accordingly. Nobody we spoke with had a problem. 

That is, until the school’s administrative office informed us that we were not allowed to do a USA theme. Frustration and confusion quickly spread across our team. A USA theme has no political connotations, nor does it have any implications surrounding our nation’s government. It is merely a way to show support for the team and establish a sense of community within the school. Quite frankly, the decision to forbid a USA theme is shortsighted. In an effort to preserve the school’s image, our higher-ups instead took a valued part of this final game—which we had worked so hard to get to—away from us.

The reasoning behind the decision, as Assistant Director Sarah Warren said, is that “there are a number of members of our community who have varying views towards the United States right now, whether that’s politically or whether that’s their actual citizenship status, and so we do not find it to be a day that brings the community together.” Warren noted a previous protest of a USA theme, where some students wore all black. Despite our disappointment, I thank everyone who still showed up in neon and supported us without protest, helping lead to our state championship victory!

To think that a USA theme at a sporting event could have any connotations, positive or negative, to the current state of our nation’s government, is simply flabbergasting. Warren said that “the real emphasis we’ve had is that spirit theme days are meant to be days that bring the community together,” and the administration’s decision did the opposite. Their decision has clearly highlighted to me that our school prioritizes preserving its reputation over supporting the decisions of our students. Neon, the redirected theme for the finals, may be safe, but USA is spirited, and spirit is exactly what a State Finals deserves.