![Adding a tray of canned corn to the pile, junior Michael Collop assists in transporting donations for the Holiday Food Drive. The event, hosted schoolwide from Dec. 10-17, raised over 5,000 food items to deliver to the Parkway Food Pantry, helping several families in need. [The drive] is a great thing for us to do because you're giving to those who are less fortunate, and it helps provide for people who can't provide for themselves. [The] competition is always fun, too. It was fun to be in [social studies teacher Jess] Chazen’s class, because he always gets worked up over [the competition]. He made it exciting, and was always convincing us to turn in cans for the drive,” Collop said.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/feature-photo-unsung-2.png)
![NEW CHALLENGE, NEW TEAM MEMBERS: Every season, VEX creates a new game that robotics team members are faced with and have to build a robot to compete in. This year’s game forces students to create a robot that is able to stack rings onto mobile goals in order to score points. The change in games each season is something that robotics teacher Audrea Moyers appreciates.
“One of the things that I like about VEX is that they have a new problem to solve every year,” she said. ¨Even though the equipment’s the same, they have to analyze the game, and they have to come up with solutions that are unique that year. They are using their knowledge from prior years, but they have to kind of redesign a problem.”
As returning teams were faced a new game, some new teams and members had to adapt to a uncommon playing field and game.
“Three of our four teams were competing for the first time this year, and they had very different experiences match to match, so I think they learned a lot,¨ she said. ¨It’s hard just watching a video online to know how it’s actually going to be in person, so they all learned a lot about what gameplay is like, how to work with an alliance partner [and] how to adapt during the day to changes.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9283-1-1200x800.jpg)
While football games create roaring crowds and endless enthusiasm, other school sports often struggle in the shadows, and the players perform for nearly-empty stands.
Due to football being the most-watched high school sport of all time, other teams can feel undesired. To bring back support for all sports, there is recent renewal in the buried Clover Hill club, “Cavalier Crazies.”
Junior Anna Jane Molis, a varsity tennis player, describes how different the crowds are for her sport, compared to football.
“There’s definitely nobody who shows up to support our tennis games versus football, which is about everybody,” Molis said.
Football often overshadows other sports, leading to less rally for those teams. Other school sports are not getting the same amount of encouragement and display as football does. To rise above the difference in encouragement, student athletes shift their focus towards receiving motivation from their teammates, rather than the lacking crowds.
“[My teammates] are definitely big motivators,” Molis said. “I’ll have teammates yell across the court ‘Good shot!’ or ‘You got this!’ and it’s just very moving.”
While teammates are good supporters to each other, coaches can also play an important role in an athletes’ dedication. Junior Ava Graves, a varsity field hockey player, describes the part her coaches play in her motivations.
“I feel like [my coaches] play a big role in how I play because they’re always there to support me and they’re here to help me out if I need advice,” Graves said.
Despite this positive influence, students should not have to rely solely on their teammates and coaches for motivation. There should also be countless cheers going on in the bleachers.
As a result of this, Clover Hill is restoring an old club from Cavalier history, called the “Cavalier Crazies.” English teacher Rhonda Clopton, who also coaches Clover Hill girls lacrosse, is the sponsor of this club. Clopton not only wants to have more enthusiasts for her team, but for all of Clover Hill’s sports.
“[I want] to bring back true Cavalier school spirit for everyone, and start making sure all of our teams are being recognized and cheered on,” Clopton said.
The Cavalier Crazies are striving to bring Clover Hill students together to guide them in cheering on their fellow classmates in sports that do not get the attention that they deserve.
“When we get big crowds it makes such a difference,” Clopton said. “When the boys team finishes early and comes to cheer us on, it is a huge difference. [School spirit] is a motivator, when there’s nobody there and it’s silent, it’s really hard to get yourself hyped up to do stuff.”
The Cavalier Crazies are slowly working their way back up to reignite Clover Hill’s school spirit, and to spread more support throughout all sports, rather than just one.
This story was originally published on Cavalier Chronicle on November 25, 2024.