'Creatures' Remain Way of Life at TC West
February 8, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
TRAVERSE CITY – Being a member of Traverse City West’s “Bleacher Creatures” means joining 200 classmates at a District soccer game, when the other side brought 20, and then willing the team to an overtime win.
It’s being part of 100 students traveling hour to an opponent’s football Homecoming game – and then working to out-cheer the larger home crowd.
But it’s also uniting with 1,000 students by wearing blue one school day to raise money – a dollar for everyone wearing that color – for the Red Cross after the Paris terror attacks. And it’s taking part in what’s going on in the classroom and the hallway.
Summed up, it’s engaging in a school community that leaders proudly call tight-knit despite being made up of more than 1,600 students.
“It’s just become so deeply-rooted in who we are and what we do. It’s a culture within our school,” senior Cooper Kirby said. “Being a Bleacher Creature and getting involved and doing these things makes kids enjoy school more. I love going to school because I love being a Creature. … It’s a really big part of who I am and so many parts of our students – really a part of their character to care about each other and care about what we do and care about supporting our teams.
“And I’m not exaggerating, either.”
Traverse City West was the third stop on this year’s BOTF finalists tour, which also has included visits to Yale, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian and Munising and will finish with a trip to Charlotte on Friday. (Watch for the Munising report and video Wednesday and Charlotte’s on Feb. 15.) The public may vote for its favorite on the MHSAA’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites beginning Feb. 16, with the MHSAA Student Advisory Council taking that vote into consideration when selecting the champion – which will be named Feb. 19 on Second Half.
West’s Bleacher Creatures were finalists as well in 2014 and fall under the direction of the school’s student senate. Kirby, this school year’s governor, is part of the Bucket Brigade, the group of 4-6 section leaders named for the buckets they pound during football games. Like previous leaders, he too is able to rattle off names from Bleacher Creature history, like 2008 governor and section founder Chase O’Black.
The student section’s leadership structure has remained much the same. Senators are elected by student vote, and in turn make up the heart of the student section and are charged with gathering as many participants as possible. But last year taught this year’s leaders a few lessons about taking action – and not taking a good thing for granted.
After two years of what they considered amazing sections, this year’s leaders felt a letdown in 2014-15. Some of it made sense – West provides many opportunities for student involvement, and students are invested in other things. But it also felt like spirit, and the Creatures’ efforts, were dwindling.
“My freshman year was amazing; I have so many great memories from sections,” said junior Dani Priest, a senate member. “Last year, it was, ‘Oh, this is fun. But we can do better.’ I think that almost motivated us for this year, especially (our) seniors.”
“I just wanted to make it the best senior year we absolutely could make it,” added Alex Tokie, also a senate member. “Making student sections absolutely insane and (having) absolutely the best sports programs we could make was just going to make my senior year that much better.”
At the first senate meeting of this school year, the group made invigorating school spirit a top goal. They got back to work creating new chants with ideas from the cheerleaders and assistance from the drum corps that during Thursday’s visit provided the soundtrack to the near-constant buzz of 400 students loaded in a section of bleachers at midcourt. The Creatures picked up a chant from a pair of exchange students from the Netherlands and upped their costume game with themes not seen elsewhere, dressing up like dads, chefs and Harry Potter. They also began selecting “Creatures of the Week” who are awarded couch seats in the front row based on their participation.
Senior Ryan Murray transferred to West in fall 2014 and bought in big-time to school spirit – this fall he was either playing soccer or watching volleyball five nights a week – but he still can’t quite believe how last year’s “mundane” student section has bounced back.
“There are kids passionate about it. To get 250 kids to show up to a game against Petoskey and have every single kid be excited to be there, to be crazy loud, to be dressed up – part of their persona is being there and being in their costumes and things like that,” Murray said. “It’s awesome.”
Communicating events and themes has always been a section strength. One of the lessons of last year is one that can apply at any school – the importance of leadership in giving action to the message. In West’s case, Kirby and his executive board are the start. Those five students then get the other senate seniors excited, and those seniors in turn pass on the energy to their friends, who pass it on to more. Soon, an entire school is following suit.
And in West’s case, that continues to mean cultivating a culture that has students wanting to be involved, creating memories and carrying on a legacy.
“I said at our first pep assembly that 20 years from now, you’re going to have a job. You’re still going to have a couch. You’re still going to have a TV. You’re not going to have student sections,” Kirby said. “You’re not going to have these opportunities.
“(Bleacher Creatures) are people who like to go to things, who enjoy high school and enjoy what they’re doing.”
PHOTOS: (Top) The Bleacher Creatures, 400 strong, stand together during Thursday's boys basketball game against Traverse City Central. (Middle) The Creatures follow their leaders in a chant. (Below) Leaders of the section pose after a halftime dance at center court. (Photos courtesy of Rick Sack.)
SAC Sounds Off on School Sports
By
Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
February 17, 2017
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
During a school year in which much of the focus is on, and coming from, student-athletes in Michigan and around the country, what better stage is there on which to showcase the MHSAA Student Advisory Council?
Following are thoughts and opinions from various SAC members as they relate to defining and defending educational athletics.
Jack Donnelly
Ottawa Lake Whiteford senior
Football, Baseball
Role as a SAC Member: “As an SAC member, I’ve learned a lot about being a good student and good role model for others. I try to bring back the points that I learn from our sessions to the team that I am on; to set a good example for others, especially the underclassmen. I figure if the underclassmen learn it now, it will only help them later.”
School Sports vs. Non-School: “I love the school spirit that things like the ‘Battle of the Fans’ emphasize. School sports should be about spirit and communities.”
Most Enjoyable Aspects: “The best part of high school sports, I feel, is being part of a team and the enjoyment that comes from being a close-knit group. There are lots of guys who I’ve been playing football with now since the third grade. That’s a bond that will last forever.”
Lindsay Duca
East Grand Rapids senior
Volleyball, Lacrosse
Role as a SAC Member: “Reminding and encouraging my teammates on the field/court as well as my fellow peers in the student section – a unique component of school sports – to cultivate an amicable surrounding for all of those engaging in the competition is a constant duty I perform to help my school emulate MHSAA values.”
School Sports vs. Non-School: “High school sports are played by student-athletes, and the academic component of that title always takes priority. This gives high school sports a healthier and more balanced environment as schoolwork and academic achievement are equally important, something that is entirely disregarded in club, rec, and even often college athletics. Playing for the fun of the game and appreciating each teammate as integral to the success of the team I think are also essential elements of high school sports that make it such a quality and genuine experience.”
Most Enjoyable Aspects: “I love the sense of community that school sports foster, one that can not only be seen around the high school but enveloping the entire town. Playing for the name written on your jersey, one that has been worn and passed down by past players who loved the game just like you, gives you a purpose, a more meaningful sense of belonging and identity than just a kid on a court. That is a pretty special opportunity.”
Cade Smeznik
Yale senior
Football, Basketball, Baseball
Most Enjoyable Aspects: “I enjoy the fans and intensity of the games. The fans make a real difference in games because when you have a huge crowd cheering you on, you want to give them a good game. The fans can also dictate how a game can go, like in basketball when you have a loud crazy student section, opponents get intimated and it hypes you and your teammates up and can swing the game in your favor.”
School vs. Non-School: “There's no better feeling than playing in front of your hometown under the lights on Friday night or on any night, especially rivalry games or playoff games which bring most of the community together and create such an intense atmosphere you can't help but love it.”
Sydney Hanson
Alma junior
Cross Country, Basketball, Soccer
Role as a SAC Member: “As a SAC member I feel like it's my job to display myself as a leader in my sports, and support all the other sports. I need to convey a demeanor that motivates my school to follow MHSAA messages. Also, I will try to take opportunities I get to teach students about what MHSAA really is about, because many don't really know what it is.”
Most Enjoyable Aspects: “I most enjoy the team aspect of sports. I love the bond that is created with my teammates and how if you are a close-knit team, it shows in your performance.”
Hunter Gandee
Temperance Bedford junior
Wrestling
Most Enjoyable Aspects: “I enjoy the bonding between teammates. Bonding that doesn't just happen on the field but also in the classroom, and at other athletic and non-athletic events. I also enjoy the sense of pride for one’s high school and holding up traditions.”
Marissa Immel
Munising senior
Volleyball, Tennis, Basketball, Golf, Track & Field
Most Enjoyable Aspects: “I really enjoy competing and working with my teammates to achieve our goals. I also enjoy meeting new people and making friends with opposing players!”
Alex Janosi
Dexter senior
Swimming, Water Polo
Role as a SAC Member: “I can do a lot by doing the right thing at a high level. By competing at a high level of play, most of the eyes are on such athletes. Doing simple things to show what sports are really about make a big impact on the high school community. From simply shaking someone's hand to running a sportsmanship summit, I can do a lot as a SAC member.”
School Sports vs. Non-School: “I think the big thing is just knowing why you play sports. We play to get energy out and have fun. At the higher levels, it's a job and adds more stress to the player's life.”
Most Enjoyable Aspects: “I enjoy being part of community that supports everyone. It's fun to be able to play for all those people you represent and to know they will be there for you.”
Darby Dean
Lowell junior
Football (Fr., Soph.), Soccer, Basketball
Role as a SAC Member: “To deliver the right message to our communities, we need to cultivate a motivated group of students within our communities who have the same thoughts and ideas as to what high school sports offer.”
School Sports vs. Non-School: “A few things that are a part of high school sports that lack in other levels are a sense of investment to a certain activity, the idea of wearing and taking pride in your school and community colors, and civic mindedness. As compared to club sports or recreational sports, I believe high school sports give an opportunity to high schoolers to honor their school and their community colors in something bigger than themselves. Not only that, but it gives the chance for kids to work with kids they have grown up around for the majority of their lives.”
Most Enjoyable Aspects: “Again, I believe one of my favorite parts about high school sports is being able to represent my school and community in something bigger than myself. Also, I believe nothing beats the feeling of winning a big game against a rival with my best friends right on the field with me.”
PHOTO: East Grand Rapids’ Lindsay Duca (22), a member of the MHSAA Student Advisory Council, looks for an open teammate during last season’s Girls Lacrosse Division 2 Final.