OPINION: New BDP squad brings new hype

By Claire Bachand,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

Picture this: you’re on the edge of your seat at a football game and next to you the Blue Devil Pride squad is screaming its head off. Intrigued, you turn around, noticing that everyone in the BDP squad is a senior, seemingly all in the same tightly-knit friend group. A bit put-off, you turn back around, knowing that you’d be an outsider if you joined.

According to senior Anika Kingsley, Davis High’s secretary of spirit, last year, the BDP Squad became a senior clique, making it more about a certain friend group than actual BDP. To avoid the recurrence of this situation, the BDP squad has been redesigned to encompass the entire student body instead of just students who apply.

With sophomores, juniors and seniors as part of the squad, athletes will be able to see their peers in the crowds, not just a group of seniors using BDP squad as an excuse to hang out. As a result, the new, more inclusive BDP squad will make students feel more connected, contributing to a more friendly atmosphere at sports games.

The new squad will continue to cheer and make signs to show support for DHS athletes. This adds hype and gives athletes motivation to play better and work harder.

According to Kingsley, the squad will attend six sports games this fall. Ranging from football to golf, these games will consist of both spectator and non-spectator sports. Thus, the squad will provide a variety of athletes, even those who don’t usually receive moral support, with an energetic, hype-filled crowd.

As an athlete myself, I can say that having people cheer for you in the stands can be a huge bonus and add energy to your game. Whether it’s a Blue Devil on their last lactic-filled lap or an athlete racing to score a goal before the clock runs out, hype is important in giving you that last push to go beyond your usual limits.

This new and improved BDP squad potentially has the power to turn a close game into a victorious one.