On Jan. 14, Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) welcomed its winter sports athletes to the spotlight at the second Athletics Rally in school history. Throughout the FIRE and lunch period, the girls’ basketball, waterpolo and soccer teams, as well as the boys basketball and soccer teams, were celebrated with shoutouts, a relay of representatives from each sport, the cheers of their fellow dragons and the first-ever on-campus performance of the Foothill Tech dance team.
The winter sport athletes and members of the girls’ dance team met in the Black Box at the beginning of lunch and enjoyed pizza until it was time to make their entrance to the decorated and packed quad, where students congregated to view the spectacle. Kicking off the rally, the athletes burst through a decorated banner and made their way to the stage for introductions.
“It was really cool. It felt good to be recognized for our sport [and for] people to know how well the team’s been doing because we worked hard to get there,” girls soccer player Payton Kennedy ‘28 said.
The Associated Student Body (ASB) and Athletic Director Jason Dinkler introduced many changes from the previous, and first-ever, Foothill Tech Athletics Rally. Among these changes was the dance team’s introductory dance and debut on Foothill Tech’s Campus. With poms poms flying and dynamic coordination, the dance team drew eyes and became a central moment of the event.
Emma Shiver ‘27, a member of the dance team, said, “From what I saw, everyone seemed really excited, and people were saying stuff as we were walking out. So I think dance … is definitely going to be implemented in the future. Next year it’s going to be a lot better and bigger and more well known.”
Dinkler also kept the rally itself fresh with an updated interactive game to put the teams together in friendly competition. After introductions to the teams and their home games, Assistant Principal Franklin Davis explained the relay: Five representatives from each sport were invited to a relay around campus, where one athlete would move between four stations, and the rest of their team would dress them in parts of an elaborate tuxedo.
The relay began with August Banando ‘27 of girls soccer shooting off the line to an early lead, but followed closely by Gavin Leedy ‘26 of boys soccer, until Bella Baum ‘26 of girls basketball made her own breakaway after the shoe station. At the final corner and stage of the relay, and coming back from third place at the penultimate station, Rios Daniel ‘26 seized the victory for boys basketball from Leedy.
“[Watching the relay] was fun. I mean, I’m not going to say any names, but maybe I should go next time. I’m joking … but they should put more people in there,” girls soccer player Stephanie Pacheco ‘27 said.
When the excitement of the relay cooled, the rally was wrapped up with members of the boys cross country CIF team taking the stage to celebrate their CIF finals second-place performance in the 2025 cross country season.
With the conclusion of this rally, Dinkler and ASB continue to define this new part of school culture and prepare for the spring Athletics Rally. In the meantime, the winter sports athletes continue their competition season as they approach CIF competition.
