Wild Life leaders in Wisconsin for Fall Weekend
Young Life
Young Life is an organization which brings kids a little closer to each other and God. I joined Young Life freshman year and have been involved ever since. I am thankful for Young Life because it has affected my life in so many ways. I started out as just another kid at Young Life sitting in the back just trying to fit in, but by the sophomore year I was outgoing and really getting involved. Over the summer I went on a trip to Colorado where I not only had the time of my life but I also became so much closer to my friends and to God. This year I got the amazing opportunity to be a Wild Life leader. Wild Life is almost the same as Young Life but it is for the middle schoolers to be apart of. As a leader I got to go on amazing trips to places like Wisconsin and Michigan. Being a leader is a huge commitment but it is so worth it, seeing how close the kids gotten with God and with each other. I am grateful for Young Life and Wildlife because it brought me closer to God and it gave me the chance to pass that on and help younger kids get involved.
…from the community
Attendance rates at games have been going down and there have been only a few sports that have significant support levels from students.
In the past couple of years, many have started to realize that the majority of students have not been getting involved as much in the school. Some seniors have spoken about the levels of school spirit going down. The popular student support body known as the Sixth Man has not been seen much at any sporting events, and spirit wear has not been worn as much around school. Students are beginning to wonder what is going on, and how can it be changed for the better.
Currently, the two most popular sports in the school are football and basketball. RB’s football program is one of the best in the area, justifying why the fan base is so dedicated. On any given night the stadium can be filled with students, alumni, teachers, middle schoolers, and people from the community.
Both basketball teams had strong seasons as well. Boys’ basketball finished the season strong despite having a rough start and girls’ basketball had a strong season.
Let’s face it, teams have to be good or next to no one comes to support. This goes along with high school sports and beyond. The lack of spirit cannot be put on just the team. People outside of the court need to encourage more people to attend. Recently, Assistant Principal David Mannon called upon a group of students to help rally some real school spirit.
“We worked with students this year to really ramp up the Bulldog Nation initiative and getting a confined group that would have themes for each game, throw out t-shirts and signs for the football season. Then, for basketball, they have the Sixth Man,” said Mannon.
Every sport should have the same support that football or basketball get. Part of getting that support can mean selling more spirit wear, holding more fundraisers, and getting local businesses to partner with the school to fund potential giveaway days, or marketing their products at games.
One administrator, staff member, or student cannot alone change the lack of spirit at RB. Many inside and outside the school need to come together to make a change. Attendance rates at games should be way higher and everyone in the district should have some Bulldog apparel and come to every game possible regardless of any team’s position in the standings. If anyone would like to help with the effort to get more school spirit, just email Mannon.