Gallery • 4 Photos

Varsity football bonding at a team dinner on Friday, September 23. | Photo by Crystal Babb

Have you ever wondered what the football team does before they play a game? What goes through the cheerleaders minds before a stunt? It is important to focus and be in the right mindset whenever you are about to perform or compete. You need to be warmed up and ready physically, but more importantly mentally. 

The Olathe North Screamin’ Eagles Marching Band performs a pre game routine in the band room at all of the home football games. 

“Before we get on the bus to go to football games, we do a chant to hype us up,’’ senior Mallory Graybeal, one of the clarinet section leaders, said. “The whole band screams it together and it really helps us feel united and excited to perform.” The band’s job is to keep the energy and music going during the intense games. They also entertain everyone with their field show during halftime. This year’s show is called “The Birth Of Planet Earth’’. 

There is a lot of pressure being a cheerleader. You have to trust your teammates, and they have to trust you. It takes a lot of strength and bravery to hold up the flier in a stunt or to be the one flying. 

“Before we do a stunt, I wipe my hands on the bottom of my shoes, and then we say hit it and go,” Freshman Varsity cheerleader Makenna Scoma said. 

Before the cheerleaders’ big pep assembly routines, they always warm up and are given a pep talk before stepping out on the floor. 

Some teams just go out there and give it their all, with no pep talk or shake down. 

“The tennis team just stretches and then goes out there and plays,” Isabelle Campbell said. 

Some teams have similar traditions to the other temas. The girls golf team also has some fun traditions that are similar to the tennis team. 

The girls golf team “just eats donuts in the van on the way to the game,” Bria Dawson, a sophomore on the varsity team, said. 

Football is a big part of Olathe North. It is a lot of pressure for the football team to go out on the field and represent our school. The football team takes the games very seriously and has some pre-game traditions to prepare for that. 

“Before games, we all usually play music on a speaker and get in the right mindset to play,” Wyatt Flood said. “Before we go on the field we sit down together and coach Richardson gives us a pre game speech, and then we go out on the field and play.” 

There are lots of elements that go into Friday night lights. Along with the football game itself, the Eaglettes dance team is in charge of entertaining and getting the crowd excited and involved. 

Lillia Wywrick said that before the Eaglettes Dance Team performs “we stand in a circle and our officers and coaches give us little pep talks and then we do a chant.” 

The dance team has many different opportunities and events. While they are attending camps and workshops, they also have to perform on the sidelines at different sport games, perform with flags in the field show at football games, and they also attend competitions including nationals. 

Every Olathe North team, athlete, and performer has their own way of getting ready and prepared for their performance.