West

Week one of football, the school is fired up. The first week of football coincides with the first week of school, normally a depressing situation. Luckily the school doesn’t give flying fuck about education. The week starts on a Tuesday, on Thursday there is a school wide pep assembly, I will talk more about it in another blog post. Also on Thursday is the first game. The seniors win the pep assembly but the whole school is pumped up and ready to go for the game at 7.

I arrive to the game, a gold out, at about 4:30. I am the only one there, the sophomores are warming up for their game at five. Most people won’t show up till halftime of that game. I settle into my seat in my usual green and gold regalia.

This game means a lot to Kennedy. Last year we played the same schedule but home and away were flipped. We lost to West and started the downward spiral to a 9-3 record. This one, like most of the games this season, was personal.

I don’t recall how the sophomores finished out but it doesn’t really matter to the seniors, we won’t be around by the time their abilities matter. Varsity takes the field and myself and the other flag runners lead them on. The band forms a tunnel and we explode through while they play the fight song. It’s a rush.

The game is a close one and the brand new student section performs beautifully. The cougars pull out the win and we get to do the post-victory chants and cheers. It’s a great time and the game, although close, is a win. And west was regarded as a good team by the media in the pre-season.

Another reason to celebrate is that our team is now ½ of the way to the total number of regular season wins we had last year. Things are looking up. Most of the people came to the game at least mostly sober and cheered fairly well. School spirit is very high right now.

Next week our team is going to take on Washington, a cross town rival who absolutely kicked our butts last year and went on to a state runner up finish. They are also ranked third in the state. The next game could very easily send us spiraling to defeat after defeat. It could also slingshot us into the top teams in the state and an outstanding season. Only time will tell.

Fight

Leonardo DiCaprio has a new movie coming out soon called “The Reverent”. In summary, it looks bad ass. At the end of the trailer it says “Based on true events”. That inspired me to do some research.

The movie is roughly based on the events surrounding Hugh Glass, an American fur trapper from the early 19^th century (if you’re wondering how this connects to school spirit just keep your pants on I’ll get there). Hugh, in general, was a badass. No one knows much about his early life but we do know he was of Irish and Scottish origin. But now to the important stuff.

Hugh was a part of an expedition up the Missouri river. After being attacked by Native Americans and being shot in the leg, he decided that it would be a good decision to get off the river. They did that and while hunting he came on to a bear. He was attacked by the bear, knocked unconscious, mauled, and half dead. The party he was with was unable to support him and knew he would die, so they left two men behind with him to wait for his death, then bury him and catch back up. However, they left him far before his death and took all his weapons and equipment, leaving him with nothing more than the cloths on his back and the fur of the bear that wounded him (which he fatally wounded before getting knocked out).

Now comes the bad ass part. He woke up, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but wilderness and unfriendly Indians, and 200 miles away from the closest American settlement. He had a broken leg and his back was so badly mauled his ribs were exposed, it was also infected. Oh, and did I mention it was winter?

So what do you do? For Glass the answer was simple, survive. He set his own leg and started crawling. Stopping every now and then to eat some berries or roots and to lay is back on rotting logs to get fresh maggots that would eat away his rotting flesh. Eventually he made his way to a river, constructed a raft, and floated downriver.

After he made it to shelter and made a full recovery he caught up to what was left of his expedition. The two men that had abandoned him we no longer a part of the group. He found them though, to seek revenge and to get back all of his stuff. He found one in another group, and spared his life because of his young age. He found the other and sparred him because he had joined the army and the penalty for killing a soldier was death.

Hugh Glass is one bad ass motherfucker. Now I’m going to connect this back to Kennedy sports. Sometimes, you’re going to get fucked up, bad. You’re going to be in the worst possible situation. But you gotta keep going. Even if it looks pointless, even if it is impossible, even if you know you can’t. You still have to try.

Tomorrow, we face Dowling. They are the two time defending state champions. But I know, the cougars a going to crawl and fight and scrape and survive and win. Because that is what we do and that is how we are. We’ll win, even though the newspapers say we can’t. Even though it might look impossible from the outside, we, on the inside, know that we will get through this, 

Rules

John F Kennedy cougar nation student section rules and regulations for playoffs.

1.       Come early, leave late.

If you don’t get there early, no spot can be guaranteed. And don’t leave until after we finish the celebration at the end.

2.       Keep your head on your shoulders.

That means no dumb stuff. No fights, nothing that could distract from the game. This is most easily done when sober, so please, don’t drink/get high before the game. Honestly I don’t care what you do on your own time but when you show up all messed up it reflects poorly on all of us.

3.       Follow the leader

Because it is the playoffs the student section leaders might want to try something special or something new. Please follow their instructions to the best of your ability and do not purposely sabotage them.

4.       Dress appropriately

This means that you should wear the color we tell you to wear. It also means that because it is October it tends to get a little chilly outside when it’s late, dress for the weather. Yes body paint looks cool but it won’t look cool when they are scrubbing it off your frostbitten fingers at the hospital. No one wants to see you dressed in rags and complaining about the weather.

5.       Cheer loud and long

It’s the playoffs. That means it is go time. We will be doing some sort of cheer nearly every play and often two per play. That may be tough but because the game is at the next level the team will need next level support. Scream you head off, who cares how you look or if you’re cool. Winning a state championship is more important than looking cool to your friends.

6.       Support your family

Just like the family of brothers on the field, we are a family in the stands. So help each other out. Treat each other well. If you see someone in the family not cheering, tell them to get into it. If you see someone in our family that is in need, try to fill that need. And always accept more people into your family. That includes parents, brothers, and sisters, anyone that is sitting on our side. The more people we have cheering, the better. So who cares who they are or where they come from?

7.       Respect the other team

I’m all in favor of a little jarring or booing. But never ever try to harm or seriously disrespect the other team or students. They are just like us and we wouldn’t like it. We should aim for a slightly less than friendly competition that is immediately forgiven before and after the game.

8.       Show your cougar pride

There is no better time than now to strut your stuff and show the whole world how much you love JFK. Cheer loud, get decked out, do whatever you want. Get your cougar freak on. There is no such thing as “Too much”.  I promise you that if you lose yourself in the game and cheers, it will be the best of your life.

Dreams

And so it begins.

Playoff football. The most incredible, beautiful, inspiring, crushing, vile thing to ever grace this earth. For one reason. Win to survive.

To the senior players, teammates, and brothers. THIS IS IT. This is everything you have ever worked for. Its every day in the weight room. Its every day at practice. It’s your freshman year when we first came together as a family. It’s every middle school practice you went through, weather you went to Harding, Taft, Roosevelt, or Franklin. It’s the dream team. Its metro football. It’s the first time you ever put on a helmet and shoulder pads. It’s your first flag football practice. It’s your dad taking you into the backyard to teach you about football. It is everything.

For most of you, this is your last year of football. For the others who will continue their careers next year, it is the last chance you have to be a cougar.

Myself, and most of my brothers on the football team, have been dreaming about this our whole lives. From the time we could understand what football is we knew we wanted to be a Kennedy Cougar. We wanted to strap up and go out under those lights and fight and play and win. That dream has come true. But there is another dream we have. The dream of perfection. The dream of a perfect season and being the best there is.

We’ve worked our whole lives for this. And the fear of loss is making me shake. Simply because, from here on, if we lose, it’s over. Everything you put in will come to an end. A lifetime of effort could end in the blink of an eye and the pure desire to continue to be a cougar and continue to play this game we love is the only thing that can save us.

At the very most, we have 5 games. That scares the living hell out of me.

1/3 of the state ended their football season tonight. On Wednesday, another 1/3 of the state. And each round will send half of the remaining teams home, except it’s not home, it’s an eviction from love and life. This will continue until there are two teams left.

Oh god I play we are one of those two. I’m scared. I don’t want this to end. I love this.

We get one shot at this. One shot and we are done. Please don’t miss. I’m not ready for this to be over any sooner than it has to be. I’m not ready to give up on my lifelong dream. I’m not ready to look back on everything I’ve done and say “It didn’t amount to much”.

Brothers, friends, teammates, fans, family; fight for this. Fight like your life depended on it. Don’t stop for anything and don’t look back until you’ve made history, and your dreams, come true. I love you, each and every one and I grew up with you. YOU are the group. YOU are the guys. YOU earned this.

Now all you have to do is go and get it.

I wrote this because when I left Waterloo tonight I took 1-380 south. A little while before you get to Cedar Rapids you pass by a small town called Center Point. 

In forth grade my parents drove me to and from this small town 5 days a week. It was Metro Youth my first year of tackle football. That was when I fell in love with this sport. 

Just driving by made me think of how fast its gone and how much of my life has been devoted to this game, and about all of my brothers who went through the same thing and are now facing a do or die situation. Sometimes looking into your own past can provide inspiration for the present and the future.

Look at where you've come from and use that to determine where you are going.

I normally end my posts by saying “Roll cougs”, but I feel a more fitting thing to say is this:

Roll into the history books with pride and love my cougar family.

Seniority

A response to a comment.

Someone asked for my perspective on seniority, and considering that I’m running out of ideas for topics, I’ll give this one a try.

In short, seniority is very important and very valid. But it’s important to look at the word “seniority”. It doesn’t say “classority”, just “seniority”.

Sorry juniors, you are upperclassmen but you aren’t seniors. The difference one year makes is huge. In my opinion, seniors should get privileges but all the other classes should adjust based on merit.

The reason for this is because it is our last year. Our last opportunity. As seniors we are going through our final experiences, as a result we expect good treatment. For the other classes it’s just another year, another game.

When you think about it, we aren’t asking for much. A guaranteed spot in the front row, a chance to lead, closer relations with staff and administrators that allows us to get away with more, and a few other small things. That’s not all that much. Besides that, most of what we get has to do with experience.

In an ideal world, the front of the section would be filled with all seniors who are willing to scream their heads off. Behind that is the loudest mix of people from all classes with the quiet people standing in the back.

If a freshman will go harder than a junior, they should get a better spot with more perks. That just makes sense. But if a junior goes harder than a senior, the senior takes priority. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do.

That being said, seeing seniors in the front row display behavior that should put them in the back row is frustrating. I do believe that at a certain point it shouldn’t matter what grade you’re in, if you suck, you suck. It’s as simple as that. I don’t care who you are, if you’re drunk off your ass and don’t want to stand up and cheer for the game, you can get the hell out.

There should be consequences to being a crappy senior, and I think a loss of the privileges that come with being a senior would be adequate.

If you are a senior, you deserve seniority. But you should still act like you are trying to prove something. If you aren’t a senor, you do have to earn it. But don’t worry, if you can’t earn it your time will come. Possibly sooner than you want.  

Life sneaks up on you. Make the most of it and respect your elders.

Roll Cougs

Senior

I really don’t know if I want to write about this for my blog. My class can see it and this post is a little personal so I don’t know if I want all of them to see it. But I am out of ideas for posts so I am going to do it anyway.

It’s my senior year. And this past Friday I had some… issues, at the game.

We had the day off of school that day. I went on a college visit. That means the whole day consisted of me being anxious about my future and what would happen in a few months when I get out of school.

I arrived back in town with plenty of time to get to the game. I did some chores and other things around the house and even took a bit of a nap. As soon as I woke up, that’s when the trouble started.

A panic attack. It happens sometimes, it’s actually a pretty common thing for teenagers nowadays. Eventually the attack subsided and I tried to prepare for the game.

Every time I did anything, I would freeze. My heart would sink. My stomach would get tied into knots. I could hardly breathe. Every step of the way I got side tracked. Every time I tried to find a shirt, or make a run to the store for something I need. Or putting on my clothes for the game.

It was plaguing me, and making me late, which only made it worse.

All my problems can be boiled down to two simple facts.

1.       It was senior night

2.       I was in the stands and not on the track

I love football. I would’ve died for it. I will never play it again.

This is my senior year and I had to watch my friends and teammates walk across that track and get their names read with all their information. It sounds egotistic but that should be me.

I put in the work. Years and years of work. I started when I was in 1^st grade and didn’t stop until last year. And I don’t get a single piece of the payoff.

It hurts. Deep down inside.

I just want to play football.

And I never will again. I will never play at Kingston stadium again in the rest of my life and that hurts. It hurts because for my entire life I have wanted to play football for Kennedy high school under the lights at Kingston. I wanted to be a part of the team that wins the state championship.

And I never will be.

It’s like chasing you dream for your whole life and watching it slip through your fingers only to be picked up by everyone you know and love.

Victory

Success is one of the best things a team can have. Rolling in win after win is incredibly fun, and in high school it is the making of memories you won’t ever forget.

My team is 8-0. It’s the best record in school history. District champions and we will go into the playoffs with the highest seed our school has ever seen. There is talk of championships. It’s my senior year and everything is going great. It’s like magic.

For my state, the top 4 teams in each district get into the playoffs. The first three rounds are played in regular stadiums throughout the state. The better seeded team will always play at their home stadium. My team will play the first three games at home.

It’s the next two rounds that make a difference. We play these games in the dome. The dome is the nickname of a state college’s football stadium. It’s indoors and massive.

The first round in the dome consists of two games in each division. A game for the east side of the state, and a game for the west side of the state. The two winners get to duke it out for the championship.

Why not us? We are third ranked in the state. We are as good as any other team out there, so we might as well just win the damn thing. Bring home that big trophy and put it in our case. It will be the first one of its kind and it will remain there for the rest of the existence of our school.

We have to win it. I don’t know how to describe it but it’s a necessity. It is pure desperation that drives us. Even for something as simple as playing. For many on our team there is no football after high school. And winning a game guarantees us another one.

That is the driving force behind it. Win or go home, and the players on our team want nothing more than to play this game until the day they die. So they will play, and fight, and give it their all because the love this sport. They would die for it.

The team I love is going to keep winning. And they are going to do this for one very simple reason. They are scared. They are hopelessly terrified of what will happen if they lose. Because that Is the void.

A loss in the playoffs is the first step into the void for a high school football player. It is worse than death. It is the first thing they love that they will lose forever and never get back.

Fear and love will keep my team alive. 

Lost

“You know Larry, there’s good days in racing, and there’s bad days. Ricky Bobby just had himself a bad day.”

This past Friday our football team traveled across town to play a team that is somewhat a rival of ours. The team won. The student section lost.

We couldn’t put a cheer together to save our lives. People were leaving early. It was ugly.

There are times when you can expect a bad day. For example, when you travel halfway across the state your student section won’t be very great. But it only takes 20 minutes to get to this school, and it was an important game. It secured our spot as the city champions.

Part of this lack of success can be attributed to the incredible success of our team. They are 6-0, 4^th in the state, and 4^th in power rankings. We were facing a subpar team and it was their homecoming so they had a huge crowd. Victory came easy for our boys. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t cheer.

Our lack of spirit really ate at me. The day after the game was my 18^th birthday. It sucked. All I could think about was how crappy we were.

I lost my voice before the end of the first half because I had to scream the whole time. Everyone was on their phones, talking to people, turning around and not even facing the game. It was appalling.

I gotta just get over it. Move on to the next one and work harder to make it great. It’s tough to shake the feeling though. Sometimes flushing a loss is tough. The biggest issue is that I can’t figure out where it went wrong. What was different? How can I prevent it? Was it something I didn’t see? The questions float around in my head.

Off days happen. In sports, lifting, running, and everything else there are days when you just don’t do well. Sometimes its fatigue, after all, we have been cheering our guts out for 5 games, they could just be tired. Sometimes its lack of perfection, its just god reminding us that no matter what we do, something will always happen to keep it from being just right.

Hopefully it was a one-time deal. Next week will be different, I know it. It’ll go back to being great again. If not, the week after. I won’t give up. Our family is strong and our teams are successful and will continue to be so.

Its flushed. Roll cougs.

Choices

Running a student section can be a full time job, and in order to finance that section it can sometimes cost the wages of a full time job.

What do you do when you have to work and there is a game? For me, the answer is very very easy. I have a limited opportunity to be a student, to enjoy games, to stand next to my friends and cheer on my brothers. You only get 4 years of your life to do that. You’re going to work for the rest of your life. A job can wait and you can, need be, find another job.

If you miss the once in a lifetime opportunity you could regret it for the rest of your life. I know that money can be tight, and everyone is worried about paying for college. Everyone has a different situation but life is about experiences, not money or personal objects.

I am at my happiest in that student section. I’d rather be screaming my lungs out at some game than have money. You see, the thing about money is, they print more of it every single day, and the world won’t run out of it. But time, and people, are scarce resources. All the money in the world can’t buy your way back into school. It can’t bring back all the people you’ve grown up with.

I could be wrong. Maybe keeping a good job and making money is the proper thing to do. In the end, none of this really matters. Even if your team wins the state championship you are still going to have to live your life. Graduation will come and everyone will separate. Nothing you do can make that big of a difference.

But deep down. I don’t give a damn, I love my school and anyone who tells me that I should have different priorities can suck it. I will do what makes me happy.

Living poor but happy. I spend all my money to make the student section amazing as possible. I know it has consequences but I really don’t care. I feel like the richest man in the world.

Do what makes you happy and you’ll never be poor in your life. Take my advice, cheering your team on will make you happy. That’s the get rich quick scheme. Go to the game and cheer your heart out. Your job can wait. Life can wait.

Ive got one year left, then life will start. But for now im just going to pretend that the only thing I need is the Cougar Nation.

Voice

If you are cheering right, it’s likely that you will lose your voice.  I personally struggle with this issue. My school has a volleyball game on Tuesday and a football game on Friday. As a result I sound like a pack-a-day smoker for about 4 days of the week. On another personal note, my sophomore year for a playoff game against our rival I yelled so hard I lost my voice before the end of the first quarter.

Keeping your voice throughout a game and getting your voice back as soon as possible after you lose it is very difficult but it is possible.

To keep your voice the biggest tip I can offer is to shut up. Unless you are cheering, keep your mouth shut. Pointless chit chat with other people will hurt your voice and it will distract you from the game.

There are other benefits to less talking too. For example, cheers will sound louder in contrast to silence than to a dull roar.

Next way to keep your voice: yell low. If you make a high pitched squeal you will lose your voice faster than a low yell. It also sounds better. If your student section sounds like a bunch of middle school girls around Justin Beiber no one will take you seriously. If you sound like a hoard of Vikings about to attack people might just listen in.

My next tip is to stay hydrated. Water works best to keep you going. Pop and other drinks can hurt more than they help. Carry a bottle full with you and take a drink after each cheer. You’ll be amazed how long you can last when you aren’t thirsty.

The very best way to keep your voice for the whole game is to get other people involved. One person yelling at the top of their lungs isn’t as loud as two people yelling fairly loud. The more people cheer the louder it will be and the less you’ll have to exert yourself to stay loud.

Getting your voice back after losing it can be tough. Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do. The best treatment is time. But if you don’t have time, there are a few things you can do.

Speak softly, not silently. It’s best to talk a little bit. Not loud and not excessively but using your voice will help it recover. I don’t know the science behind it I just know that it works for me, so it might work for you.

Another thing you can do is drink water. Same principle as before. I know it sounds repetitive but water is good for you so you should drink is as much as you can anyway.

Cough drops can help. This isn’t what they were designed for but they do have medicine that reduces some of the pain/soreness that makes you talk strange. Do not over use these. They are medicine and its never a great idea to use medicine when you aren’t sick. But if you have to give a speech or some other public speaking and you don’t want to sound like you have gravel in your throat you could suck on one and it will help.

Rain

Its football season, and football is one of the few sports that they will play rain or shine. I’ve only ever seen a football game get delayed because of lightning or a tornado. That means that there are bound to be a few occasions where the game will take place in slightly… damp, conditions.

If the game is going to be played in the rain, the student section is going to have to cheer in the rain. So here are a few tips on how to best perform in the rain.

The biggest piece of advice I can offer, is if it is going to be cold and wet, cancel whatever occasion you had planned. Trying to hold on to your blackout through a rainstorm isn’t going to go well. It works best to change and adapt. No one wants to go to a white out when it’s 60 and pouring rain. If you are stubborn people will either not come or will come wearing whatever they want.

Next comes burring your pride. This one can be though, lord knows I’ve struggled with it. But there comes a time when you simply have to put a poncho on. You can only be a hero for so long before you just become an idiot. Trust me, it is so much more enjoyable to be able to stay warm and dry, not to mention the fact that you yell louder when you’re warm.

Remember to stay positive. Don’t complain. Don’t whine about the weather. Just smile and get through it. It’s worse for the guys on the field anyway. It’s incredibly easy for a huge group of people to shut down, it is your job to keep them excited and involved. Rain can suck the inspiration right out of you. Stay cheery, stay loud, others will follow, just don’t slide down the slippery slope that leads to 300 people sitting around wishing they were at home.

There is a good chance that the turn out for a rain game will be significantly less than other games. Don’t panic. Smaller numbers aren’t always a bad thing, and chances are the people who tough it out in the rain are the same people who cheer loudest in the best conditions. Remember, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. The people who come out for rain games have fight. Remember to just have fun with it, smaller numbers are easier to manage and can lead to a closer bond between people.

Playing in the rain can be a nightmare for some teams, the ball is wet and fumbles will happen. Crazy things happen in the rain. The team will need a good section to have their backs and keep them in the fight.

Remember, you don’t come to the game for you, you come for them. That means that in their darkest hour, you have to cheer your loudest.

Boo

The issue of booing at a sporting event can be a hot button topic. I have my own opinions and I will clearly express them, and explain why I feel the way I do. But everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

I think booing is a good thing.

If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen. If you are seriously offended by the fact that the other team’s student section doesn’t like you, then competitive sports might not be your thing. If three small letters put together can hurt you that bad then I don’t know what losing will do.

I’ve never seen a varsity athlete get upset by booing. Most don’t even react and everyone else feeds off of it. That’s right, there are people who love booing. It motivates them. So why then is booing not allowed/discouraged at sporting events? I have a theory. It is nothing more than over-sensitivity masked by sportsmanship.

Parents, coaches, and administrators are so concerned about causing a ruckus that they don’t allow even the most harmless of negative cheers. And they stand behind a shield of sportsmanship to help hide it. Sportsmanship is about respect. Just because I vocalize the fact that I don’t support you or disagree with you doesn’t mean I disrespect you.

I understand, and appreciate, the argument against it. Sports should be a positive thing. Cheering should be positive. I get that, and I support that. Cheering, for the most part, should be positive. But there are occasions where negative cheers are acceptable. I think some people are starting to see a big broad line between what is mean and offensive and what is just part of the game. I see it as a fine line.

When things turn ugly there is a line. As soon as you bring up anything that could be a cause for discrimination you cross a line and deserve to get shut down. This includes but isn’t limited to: race, color, creed, sexual identity, social status, and economic status. If you bring up any of this, you should get kicked out of whatever event you are attending and should face serious punishment from the school you attend.

I get fired up very easily at the next part. Referees. I have seen them penalize a team because the student section booed their call. If you make a bad call, you are going to get booed. It happens. And if you can handle a bunch of kids, actual kids under the age of 18, booing when you mess up, you need to reevaluate your choices. As an adult, you are expected to handle a bit of negativity, and when you can’t you just look bad.

Boo on. It’s part of the game. If they can take it that’s on them. But know the limit and don’t push too far. Because if you do, you deserve to get booed.

Getting in their heads

One of the best things a student section can do is distract the opposing team’s players. If the members of a student section can get in the heads of the other team, they can have a huge impact on the game.

Picture this, it’s the fourth quarter of a big football game and your team is trailing by 2 points. You stand 35 yards away from the goalposts. Its 4^th down and there are 20 seconds left on the clock. You set up to kick, your focus narrows. Just kick the ball straight and far and our team will go to the playoffs. But slowly, something starts to penetrate through your bubble of concentration. Three words, “Block that kick”, and it’s getting louder and louder.

A moment before you were thinking about the kick. Now all you can focus on is what’s going on over in the stands. You try to pull your focus back but it’s in there now. You can feel the hundreds of voices shouting as if they were standing deep in your ear. The ball is snapped, the holder catches it and puts it down. You take two steps toward the ball and kick…

The ball veers right and misses. Your team goes home. The season is over.

The student sections team goes on.

That is just one example of the huge impact the students can have on a game.

In my experience, there are two main ways to get into their heads. The first is a constant effort. It is the cheering that never stops. It’s being loud, crazy, and generally distracting the whole game. The second is usually situation or player specific. Examples of situation specific things would be, last minute field goals, goal line stands, free throws, and any other “Big play” situations. Player specific distractions usually apply to a star player. Things like yelling out their name, or something about them can distract the player and make them mess up. It doesn’t have to be a star player either, its often easiest to distract a player with something specific about them.

For example, in a basketball game last year, the student section noticed that a player on the opposing team’s shorts were just a little too small and pulled up a little too high. That coupled with the fact he was wearing glasses was enough to earn him the name “Steve Urcle”. By the end of the game he was so upset that he completely lost focus on the game and was benched.

Never underestimate your ability to affect the outcome of a game. The student section truly can be the extra man.