Football and Cheer Return For a Full Season
Sports games are back and packed with students in bleachers.
By Sydney Teves
Sports games are back and packed with students in bleachers.
By Sydney Teves
For the first time in over a year, students, parents and staff are once again able to attend sports games at school. Many things were cancelled or shortened last year because of the coronavirus pandemic and football and cheer season were some of them.
For some sports, such as basketball, the teams did not get to compete in games or have as many spectators as they would have had in a normal year. Other sports like football, for example, were able to play some of their games while they were pay-per-view livestreamed.
For students and those of which who are athletes, many are excited for the return of games and being able to attend them like in years prior. For students like Michael Tonegato, 12, they were able to go to their first game ever at the first attendable home game in over a year.
“It’s fun, I’ve never been to a game before and this has been an interesting experience. I didn’t expect this many people but I don’t mind it, I think it’s nice,” said Tonegato.
Another student, Kate Smyrniotis, 12, is grateful for the opportunity to attend a few more football games in her last year of high school even if they might be a little different than before.
“I’m just excited because I get to feel normal again, I get to have the traditional things that I would as a senior,” said Smyrniotis.
Although most students and staff are excited for the return of attendable sports games, some people, like Anya Farhang, 12, are worried that the loosely enforced COVID-19 restrictions such as mask-wearing and social distancing at the games are likely to cause problems.
“Part of it worries me a little bit but also I just like being able to see people have fun. That’s why I’m wearing a mask because I really would prefer people to be safe,” said Farhang.
With the return of the football games also comes the return of the cheer team performing throughout the games. After last year of only attending and performing at a few games and not receiving uniforms, the cheer team has welcomed three new cheer coaches, including leadership and sports medicine teacher Michelle Mayhew. The other two cheer coaches are Carolina Lopez and Makenzie Horn, both are new to Pioneer.
After a shortened cheer and football season last year and the uncertainty of cheering at games, the cheer team gets to perform and cheer in uniforms this year and will be able to perform at more games. Loren Losorata, 11, who has been on the cheer team for a year and a half now, is ecstatic about having people attend sports games and watching them cheer again, and feels like things are going back to normal, especially with the return of in-person school.
“Oh my goodness, it’s so crazy and I’m super duper happy about it mainly because last year when we had our little Covid season, we only got to go to two games and performed like once. I think it’s really special for me now to be a part of the team and go out there,” said Losorata.
The first home game of the year was Friday, September 17, against Leland and Jaedyn Price, 12, a defensive back and wide receiver on the varsity football team, feels his performance has largely improved since the return of spectators at the games.
“I think it’s great personally, it brings a lot more energy than when the stands were empty. It was just us and now we have people cheering us on, it brings a lot more energy to the field and to the team,” said Price.
Pioneer has welcomed many new teachers this year as well as a few admins like the new Assistant Principal of Student Services Kiera Strockis. She is glad for the football games returning and waited anxiously for it as it was her first football game since she was in high school.
“I’ve been pumped all week, I am so glad that everybody has the same enthusiasm that I do. I haven’t been to a football game really since I was in high school because my college did not have one,” said Strockis. “It’s really nice to be back and experience the game.”
With September 17 being the first home game for people to attend in over a year, the parking and seating situation was in chaos. Towards the middle of the game, police overseeing cars and Assistant Principal of Discipline Tim Gavello had to start turning cars away because there was no more room for people to park. San Jose Police Department Officer Tim Harden had to direct traffic but also make sure people were parking where they were supposed to.
Harden said cars were parked illegally, blocking the exits, and others had to park in dirt areas.
“I don’t think they were expecting this big of a crowd,” Harden said that night.
In the future, the administration will have to propose a better plan for the seating and parking situation. Gavello has ideas for parking but if the games continue to bring in huge crowds, they may not be sufficient.
“We have the church over there and we could potentially open up the church parking lot,” said Gavello.
For some sports, such as basketball, the teams did not get to compete in games or have as many spectators as they would have had in a normal year. Other sports like football, for example, were able to play some of their games while they were pay-per-view livestreamed.
For students and those of which who are athletes, many are excited for the return of games and being able to attend them like in years prior. For students like Michael Tonegato, 12, they were able to go to their first game ever at the first attendable home game in over a year.
“It’s fun, I’ve never been to a game before and this has been an interesting experience. I didn’t expect this many people but I don’t mind it, I think it’s nice,” said Tonegato.
Another student, Kate Smyrniotis, 12, is grateful for the opportunity to attend a few more football games in her last year of high school even if they might be a little different than before.
“I’m just excited because I get to feel normal again, I get to have the traditional things that I would as a senior,” said Smyrniotis.
Although most students and staff are excited for the return of attendable sports games, some people, like Anya Farhang, 12, are worried that the loosely enforced COVID-19 restrictions such as mask-wearing and social distancing at the games are likely to cause problems.
“Part of it worries me a little bit but also I just like being able to see people have fun. That’s why I’m wearing a mask because I really would prefer people to be safe,” said Farhang.
With the return of the football games also comes the return of the cheer team performing throughout the games. After last year of only attending and performing at a few games and not receiving uniforms, the cheer team has welcomed three new cheer coaches, including leadership and sports medicine teacher Michelle Mayhew. The other two cheer coaches are Carolina Lopez and Makenzie Horn, both are new to Pioneer.
After a shortened cheer and football season last year and the uncertainty of cheering at games, the cheer team gets to perform and cheer in uniforms this year and will be able to perform at more games. Loren Losorata, 11, who has been on the cheer team for a year and a half now, is ecstatic about having people attend sports games and watching them cheer again, and feels like things are going back to normal, especially with the return of in-person school.
“Oh my goodness, it’s so crazy and I’m super duper happy about it mainly because last year when we had our little Covid season, we only got to go to two games and performed like once. I think it’s really special for me now to be a part of the team and go out there,” said Losorata.
The first home game of the year was Friday, September 17, against Leland and Jaedyn Price, 12, a defensive back and wide receiver on the varsity football team, feels his performance has largely improved since the return of spectators at the games.
“I think it’s great personally, it brings a lot more energy than when the stands were empty. It was just us and now we have people cheering us on, it brings a lot more energy to the field and to the team,” said Price.
Pioneer has welcomed many new teachers this year as well as a few admins like the new Assistant Principal of Student Services Kiera Strockis. She is glad for the football games returning and waited anxiously for it as it was her first football game since she was in high school.
“I’ve been pumped all week, I am so glad that everybody has the same enthusiasm that I do. I haven’t been to a football game really since I was in high school because my college did not have one,” said Strockis. “It’s really nice to be back and experience the game.”
With September 17 being the first home game for people to attend in over a year, the parking and seating situation was in chaos. Towards the middle of the game, police overseeing cars and Assistant Principal of Discipline Tim Gavello had to start turning cars away because there was no more room for people to park. San Jose Police Department Officer Tim Harden had to direct traffic but also make sure people were parking where they were supposed to.
Harden said cars were parked illegally, blocking the exits, and others had to park in dirt areas.
“I don’t think they were expecting this big of a crowd,” Harden said that night.
In the future, the administration will have to propose a better plan for the seating and parking situation. Gavello has ideas for parking but if the games continue to bring in huge crowds, they may not be sufficient.
“We have the church over there and we could potentially open up the church parking lot,” said Gavello.