How To: Survive a Student Section

I love being in the student section during school games, but football is by far the best. For those of you who have never been in a student section football game, here's what you need to know to prepare yourself for this intense night.

To parents whose kids go into the student section, don't check up on them. Let them experience being in the student section on their own. Let them text you, and come visit you, don't come to them. It will embarass them and make them uncomfortable. We know you love your little Timmy and sweet Suzzie, but let Timmy and Suzzie be crazy in the stands for one night :)

Tip Time

1. It's so much fun, so just let yourself have fun being with everyone. If you are not a people person, this is not your thing I'm sorry to say. But for everyone else, having the chance to be with all your friends and fellow school mates and cheer on your team is the best feeling ever.
2. Take pictures before the game starts. You will look a lot better before the game because you won't be gross and you'll have more motivation to actually take a picture. Opposed to after when you look and feel dead, and you have no motivation.
3. You are going to sweat, a lot. Being back-to-back with people for a few hours jumping and screaming, you will sweat and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Sweating by far is the worst thing to have in the student section, but, if you aren't sweating while in the student section, you're doing something wrong.
4. You voice is going to die, it will hurt, it won't sound good, and there's no amount of cough drops or cold water that can help you. Everyone in the student section calls me mom. I always come prepared with water, extra money, lady products, ibuprofen, cough drops, and a few tissues. So when a friend comes up to me sounding dead asking for a cough drop, I want to tell them "no amount of cough drops I give you will help you." But since I try to be a good mom, I give them one anyways. So try not to schedule anything important the next day, it will not go well for you or your voice.
5. You are going to be exhausted, like very-very-very exhausted. All you want to do when the game ends is get into bed. You have been standing, sweating, screaming, jumping, and having high amount of adrenaline in your body. You have been pushing your body to its limit, just remember to know your limit. Even if it does mean you leave the stands to get some water or some air.
6. Be prepared to argue with friends on where you want to go eat after. If your school doesn't have a designated food-get-together-spot for after games, make a plan with your friends before the game so that you know exactly where you are going and you can save enough money after buying snacks, so that you can get food after.
7. When sitting in the stands, make sure you are sitting in the right area. The seniors in the very FRONT and taking the first few rows (underclassmen I understand you want to be apart of it, but it's not your time yet, let the seniors have their last few nights in the stands). Behind the seniors is the juniors, obviously. (Juniors, do not slide down the rows where the seniors are, you are taking a seniors spot that deserves to be there. Don't be that kid who tries to do that, it's not cool) Sophomores are behind the juniors, then freshmen. Unless you get invited by an upperclassmen to sit with you, DO NOT MOVE OUT OF YOUR SECTION. The older you get the more you see underclassmen try to sneak their way in. It's not cool, and it doesn't make you cool, everyone will be very annoyed by you, sorry but it's true.

These are a few tips I learned over the years of being in the student section of games that I wish I knew earlier on. I wrote this to high school students that are going to participate in student sections so they know what to expect. But having the chance to go to a football game (or any other game) you get to have lots of memories and experiences that you'll remember.