By Samuel Smith, Opinions Editor
What scared Scrooge into becoming a kindhearted man? What does my mother think moves paintings in our house? What does First Flight High School need more of?
The answer to each of these pertinent questions is simple: spirit.
FFHS has plenty of sports teams throughout the school year. Whether you like the fall or spring more, First Flight has the Dare County masses covered in terms of extracurricular activities that leave your muscles aching.
Why then, with football, soccer, volleyball, tennis, baseball, lacrosse, golf, swim (the list goes on), would one say that First Flight needs spirit? So many sports year-round, there couldn’t possibly be any shortage of excitement through the walls of the lovely 2004-born school. Right?
Wrong.
Spirit matters. Excitement is key. Hype is crucial. And it is lacking.
The fact of the matter is, the First Flight student body is dropping the ball in terms of supporting those that throw a much less proverbial ball.
In layman’s terms: We don’t show up.
I had the pleasure of going to a volleyball game a few weeks ago between First Flight High School and Manteo High School. I hadn’t heard much discussion about the game throughout the school, but I was excited nonetheless.
It was my first time going to a volleyball game ever. Supporting my home team in a foreign land and drinking dramatically overpriced Pepsi? Who wouldn’t want to go?
Apparently most people, because for the entirety of the junior varsity volleyball game, the only supporters in the stands for First Flight were the lovely varsity players, and myself.
“That’s fine,” I told myself. “This is fine. Manteo doesn’t have that many people here in support of their team, so it evens out to the expected ratios of an away game.”
Suddenly, I heard thunder. Rows and rows of the bleachers in the Manteo gym began to be filled by supporters of the Manteo Redskins. Football players finishing practice, friends and family excited to see those closest to them play their hardest. The Ghostbusters were unnecessary, for the spirit was abundant, palpable even.
Small numbers of First Flight supporters eventually showed up for the varsity game, but the damage to our fragile high school egos had been done – aside from the fact that First Flight’s junior varsity team had actually won.
Those beautiful moments of fellow students showing up and cheering as you make a basket, or run in a touchdown, or swim a lap, or trip during hurdles. Where are they for First Flight?
Spirit is lacking. But the absence of such cheer is not long gone.
The previous year’s Marlin Bowl held that raw beauty. The victory in First Flight’s name was accompanied by the roar of the crowd and the running of students alongside the precious marlin.
The win breathed life into what was once thought to be the corpse of school pride. It showed the joy of high school life, the pleasures of a school game night, the power of the Nighthawks.
It showed spirit.
Football season isn’t over. Nor is tennis, or volleyball. Baseball has yet to begin, same with swim and lacrosse and so many other sports.
When Mr. Lansing tells us that we are the No. 1 school in Dare County.
We have spirit.
When Coach Prince delivers his “I Am Somebody” speech and the grades that compose our school scream in embrace.
We have spirit.
When Mrs. Head yells at us because we buzzed our head over the summer.
We have spirit. Or I guess in that case it’s more “I have spirit,” but the point stands.
First Flight High School has spirit. I think it’s about time we show everybody else.
Go Nighthawks!
Senior Samuel Smith can be reached at [email protected]
