Every Friday during football season, the cheer team holds a pep rally to promote school spirit. Cheerleaders lead students in chants, the band plays catchy tunes and athletes celebrate their successes by giving speeches. However, the fun ends as soon as football season does, regardless of what other sports are doing.

Pep rallies should be held through the entire school year.

Game day pep rallies would fit the basketball season perfectly. Basketball is a fast-paced sport that excites students. The teams would benefit from the hype pep rallies create. Additionally, the basketball teams consistently perform well in playoffs. Giving students a chance to celebrate the basketball teams’ successes will promote pride in those athletes, boosting school spirit.

Other sports that are active during the spring include tennis, track, golf and baseball. There are more spring sports than fall sports, yet athletes in these sports are not publicly recognized for their efforts. Holding pep rallies throughout the year would hype up athletes from every sport and make all of them feel appreciated.

Even students who don’t participate in sports would benefit from year-round pep rallies. A study by Varsity Brands, a company that specializes in high school athletic gear, indicates that students with more school spirit are happier and achieve more academically. The company states that it is a reflection of pride and determination among the student body. Pep rallies promote school spirit by getting everyone in the school involved in game day traditions. Extending these traditions throughout the year will promote school spirit and success longer.

For many students, though, pep rallies are boring and not worth holding. They don’t get excited because pep rallies are nothing special to them. Holding them all year would make them even less eventful. Although pep rallies would seem more mundane if they occurred more often, they would also offer a welcome break from class. Studies have shown that taking breaks throughout the school day increases student productivity and reduces stress. If year-round pep rallies were implemented, the entire school would reap these benefits all year long.

Right now, pep rallies are not all-inclusive. Only fall sports are celebrated, which is not fair to athletes who compete in the spring. In addition, the proven benefits that pep rallies bring are negated as soon as football season ends. Holding them in the spring, even if not as often as in the fall, would ensure a happier, more successful student body.