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commonsensesum
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Posted: Oct 30th, 2006 04:08 am |
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Northwest Guilford is the largest high school in Guilford County yet our major sports teams have some of the poorest records in the county. The Northwest section of the county also has some of the highest per capita income levels in the county yet our facilities are among the poorest, especially the football stadium. Why doesn't the band support the team at home games and why don't they attend away games? Why is there no pep band at basketball games? Why, with a student population of 2400+ is there little support for any of the athletics teams?
What do you think needs to be done to improve the situation and make Northwest sports a competitor in all sports? What needs to be done to increase student participation and establish some school spirit and pride? Other schools all seem to have it, but we don't. Why?
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Kris McNeill
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Posted: Oct 30th, 2006 12:49 pm |
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commonsensesum wrote: Why doesn't the band support the team at home games and why don't they attend away games? Why is there no pep band at basketball games?
The band is at every home football game. They play the national anthem and alma mater song at pregame, in the stands during the game (as much as they are allowed to - prerecorded music is played much of the time), and they perform at halftime.
There are several reasons why the band does not attend away games. First, generally, the "host" school has to invite the visiting team's band to attend. Page High School has invited our band to their school in the past. The NW Band played at the Page v. NW game last year. Second, someone has to pay for the band to travel to away games - either the school, the football boosters or the band boosters would have to foot the bill - all have tight budgets.
Pep Band - this was discussed last year with the NW Band Director (who is now in his 3rd year doing a wonderful job of leading the band programs!). He said pep band would need to be a "student led" activity similar to the many club groups at NW. The NW Band program competes and performs throughout the entire school year - there are 3 extracurricular auditioned groups that perform/compete January - April in and out of state.
As for school spirit, I have seen great support for the football team in the "student section". At one of the games this year, they all had some kind of noise makers and they were really rallying behind the team! The band, dance team and cheerleaders are all great at cheering during the game. The football team is not doing too well this year unfortunately  I think it's just a normal thing for everyone's spirit to be down when the team is down. (I'm feeling a little down myself this morning after last night's Panther game )
I hope this helps answer some questions. Over the past 6 years that I have had children at NWHS, I've seen school spirit up and down. I'll have to agree that it is low right now. A couple of years ago when the football team did so well and went to the playoffs, school spirit was really high. I think it's just human nature at work.....
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Kris McNeill
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Posted: Oct 30th, 2006 01:00 pm |
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commonsensesum wrote: The Northwest section of the county also has some of the highest per capita income levels in the county yet our facilities are among the poorest, especially the football stadium.
I can't agree with you more about the football stadium. There is a non-profit group called "Viking Vision" (led by athletic director John Hughes, I think) that is trying to lobby for and raise money for this type of facility improvement. From what I understand, the school system will likely never make improvements to the football stadium. In my opinion, it is going to require a campaign to get corporate sponsorships to raise enough money. Viking Vision raised funds to build the new concession stand and do some work on the field (new fence, I think?)
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DToney
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Posted: Oct 31st, 2006 12:35 am |
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gee... I thought I was the only one that noticed... our track record is pretty sad....
In the schools we've been affiliated with in the past, the team spirit comes from everyone standing behind a team that works their buns off to win a few so when you don't win, it is not a big deal... our students EXPECT our team to loose!
Could it be that we need a new coach? it is more of a popularity contest rather than competition to win games 
You can throw money at any situation it still won't build teammanship nor will it make the kids work any harder.... only a good coach can do that. 
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I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work. - Thomas Edison
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DToney
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Posted: Oct 31st, 2006 12:45 am |
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Kris McNeill wrote: commonsensesum wrote: The Northwest section of the county also has some of the highest per capita income levels in the county yet our facilities are among the poorest, especially the football stadium.
I can't agree with you more about the football stadium. There is a non-profit group called "Viking Vision" (led by athletic director John Hughes, I think) that is trying to lobby for and raise money for this type of facility improvement. From what I understand, the school system will likely never make improvements to the football stadium. In my opinion, it is going to require a campaign to get corporate sponsorships to raise enough money. Viking Vision raised funds to build the new concession stand and do some work on the field (new fence, I think?)
it's sad that we have to raise money for this type of thing when our county leaves us in a lurch to spend money on other schools... never NWHS my biggest complaint is the mobile classrooms... but that's another thread.....
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I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work. - Thomas Edison
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commonsensesum
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Posted: Oct 31st, 2006 04:31 am |
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As you stated, the band attends every home game and plays the National Anthem before each game starts and the Alma Mater (although I don't understand why the Alma Mater is not performed after the game as is customary). They also perform the SAME routine week after week at home games. Can't we have some variety?
I always thought the pre-recorded music was done because the band rarely plays during the game. I attend all the away games and have for many years and their bands are far superior to ours during a game. They play the entire game and act like that want to be there. I don't understand why, with our huge band, we would have a need for any pre-recorded music. It seems someone should be smart enough to get the dance team, cheerleaders and the band to work together on appropriate music and a routine to be used during the game.
On the issue of the band having to be invited to attend, NW must do a whole lot more inviting then being invited as we often have a band attend from a visiting school. I can understand how they would need to be invited to perform at halftime during a game, but I don't see how one school could stop another school from bringing their band, which could play during the game from the stands. What are they going to do, refuse to let the band enter the gates? Do the cheerleaders have to be invited also? I think this is just an excuse. As to money, the only expense I see is for gas for the bus and possibly paying a bus driver or two. That can't be a lot of money and the band raises a lot of money each year. Maybe yo can enlighten me on these expenses.
As to a pep band, why is that not a subset of the regular band? I believe the purpose of any school band(s) is not unlike that of the cheerleaders or dance teams - first and foremost to support the team and raise school spirit. If the band wants to go to competitions, that is extra just as if the cheerleaders or dance teams want to go to competitions and should not take away from sporting events, which should be top priority. Perhaps we need two bands - one that is a true high school marching band that plays at games, home and away, does more than the same old routine each game, attends local parades, etc. and a second band whose only purpose is to go to competitions. I know this is economically not feasible but no one forces the band to compete, they choose to do so, which is fine as long as they fulfill their primary obligation first.
Although there has been some school spirit displayed at games this year, it is lacking when compared to other schools, especially with a student population of 2400+. Perhaps it is because our football team is now 4-17 over the last two seasons and our basketball team is just average.
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commonsensesum
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Posted: Oct 31st, 2006 04:34 am |
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| I agree with you. Enough tax dollars are wasted in the schools each year in this county for every high school to have a nice stadium of adequate size based on the number of students.
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Kris McNeill
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Posted: Oct 31st, 2006 12:08 pm |
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commonsensesum,
You seem really upset over the school spirit issue. Perhaps you should address your issues to an administrator, the band director, the athletic director or one of the coaches? Maybe you could form some type of school spirit committee through the PTSA or the athletic department?
The band could perform a different show at every game, travel to every away game, play in the stands throughout the entire game, etc. and the football team could still be losing. Just look at the University of North Carolina this year - a school with tons of spirit - and a losing football team.....
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Kris McNeill
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Posted: Oct 31st, 2006 12:29 pm |
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Results of other NWHS Athletics so far this year:
Girls Volleyball - went to the State Playoffs
Cross Country - won the conference
Girls Golf - State Playoffs, won the conference
Boys Soccer - going to playoffs this week
The football team has not had a good year but other teams have done well! Congrats to these teams!
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Waytago
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Posted: Oct 31st, 2006 09:44 pm |
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Kris McNeill wrote: (as much as they are allowed to - prerecorded music is played much of the time),
Can you elaborate a bit more on this comment please.
Why is pre-recorded music played when a beautiful band with talented young people is at the games?
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commonsensesum
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Posted: Nov 1st, 2006 02:34 am |
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Kris McNeill wrote: commonsensesum: You seem really upset over the school spirit issue. Perhaps you should address your issues to an administrator, the band director, the athletic director or one of the coaches? Maybe you could form some type of school spirit committee through the PTSA or the athletic department?
The band could perform a different show at every game, travel to every away game, play in the stands throughout the entire game, etc. and the football team could still be losing. Just look at the University of North Carolina this year - a school with tons of spirit - and a losing football team..... Upset may be too strong a word, perhaps dissatisfied is a better term. I am dissatisfied with the band not playing enough during the football games and not playing music that generates excitement. I am dissatisfied that the Northwest band does not play at away games. I am dissatisfied that a school as large and as talented at Northwest does not have a pep band at every home basketball game. I will assume that you did not attend the Northwest - Grimsley football game at Grimsley Monday night. Grimsley's band played long and hard and they are much smaller than Northwest. Their band generated excitement and ours does not. I have found that addressing issues with any administrator in the Guilford County Schools to be a waste of time. I have been told from reliable sources that both the dance team and the cheerleaders have asked the band director for tapes of the band's music to come up with routines to match the music but were refused. My experience with the AD over the past couple of years regarding issues was a waste of time as no action was taken. I would not say that UNC football is a good example of school spirit - check the stands at their games and see how many empty seats you see. At least they were smart enough to fire their coach. Perhaps the only fix at Northwest is to clean house from AD to coaches in several sports. This is my last year involved with NW and since I live in the Northern district, I will let someone else worry about and fight these battles.
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commonsensesum
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Posted: Nov 1st, 2006 02:39 am |
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| Girls Sports excel at Northwest. But how about the revenue sports that generate the revenue for all the non-revenue sports? Football 4-17 over the past two seasons. Boys basketball has a losing season to maybe break even. Maybe the female athletes are far superior in talent. Or maybe the girls coaches are far superior to the boys coaches? Maybe we need to make some changes?
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bama80
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Posted: Nov 1st, 2006 04:13 pm |
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Maybe the best way for the band to help the football team is if some of the band members tried out for the football team. I think you are beating the wrong dead horse (or something like that- haha) commonsenseum. I dont think the band is the issue. Im sure if they played louder, the football team would instantly do better.
Maybe they should just be like some college football teams and fire the coach every 2 years until they find one that will win a season or two.
-umm mostly all this was sarcasm if you guys didnt pick up on that.
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Kris McNeill
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Posted: Nov 1st, 2006 05:21 pm |
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Waytago wrote: Kris McNeill wrote: (as much as they are allowed to - prerecorded music is played much of the time),
Can you elaborate a bit more on this comment please.
Why is pre-recorded music played when a beautiful band with talented young people is at the games?
That's a really good question, Waytago. From what I understand, it is the announcer's choice. The band director and students would like to get more playing time during the game. They do play some "catchy tunes" over the PA system(they always play this crazy "Ice Cream and Cake" rap song that the students love!) but the band has a repetoire of great tunes too! The dance team does some great routines along with the band too!
I have also heard that some football coaches (I'm not sure about the NWHS coach) are very specific about how much and when the band can play because the team can't hear the play calls over the noise. I can understand that.......it's a delicate balance.
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Kris McNeill
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Posted: Nov 1st, 2006 05:33 pm |
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commonsensesum wrote: Northwest - Grimsley football game at Grimsley Monday night. Grimsley's band played long and hard and they are much smaller than Northwest. Their band generated excitement and ours does not.
ummmmm, Grimsley beat Northwest 44-20 on Monday night. Grimsley is also undefeated with a 10-0 record, leading the metro 4A conference. I'm sure they have an overabundance of school spirit whether they had a band there or not!
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