Yet another exciting change has come in the name of Foothill athletics. With this year being the first that all athletes on Foothill’s campus play for the Dragons, it seems appropriate that the identity of Foothill Athletics takes another unifying step with an official FTHS Spirit Team.

Not to be confused with traditional cheerleaders, the new group is “a really hype group of kids” who “want to bring more school spirit to Foothill,” according to Jolie Jannone ‘20.

Spirit Team president Alaina Hooks ‘18 clarifies that “we don’t have a uniform and we don’t meet every day after school to practice, but we are spirited and we have the same end goal,” believing that when it comes to school spirit, “it doesn’t matter the journey we take, just what we hope to achieve.”

What do they hope to achieve? According to Jannone, “getting a lot of participants to support our teams, whether it’s actually on campus or at the games.”

For the Spirit Team, their journey includes leading and participating in activities geared towards “hyping up” Foothill athletics, including chants, face painting, on-campus recognition of athletes and, Lucy Esber’s ‘18 favorite, a designated student section, known as the “Fire Pit.”

Esber likes going to Ventura High School’s sporting events, especially because of the student section they have available. There, she says, she feels “a part of it,” whereas at Foothill’s events she can sometimes “feel like an outsider.”

“I’m excited to transfer that culture into Foothill,” Esber said.

Led by Hooks, the team is largely student-driven. Approximately 40 students attended the first Spirit Team meeting on Sept. 19, a turnout Hooks was very pleased with.

“I’m most excited about getting input from other students, because I focus a lot on the ASB aspect of the spirit team,” Hooks said.

She wants students who attend Spirit Team meetings, which will be held roughly once a week on Tuesdays, to be welcomed with open arms, recognizing that there are plenty of “students who aren’t in ASB but still care a lot about the school,” and that “it’s important that we give them voices and influence,” Hooks said.

This influence, as well as the introduction of new activities, will help to bring Hooks’ vision to fruition: to “influence the students that don’t participate” so that “hopefully they’ll feel more comfortable attending games and supporting Foothill athletics.”

She encourages people to give it a try, ensuring that “our doors are always open” at the FTHS Spirit Team.