Anonymous wrote:Some of the best rivalries in NoVa are Yorktown and W-L, Langley and McLean, Robinson and Lake Braddock, and Chantilly and Westfield. Individual football and basketball games for those contests will often sell out, and the atmosphere is pretty similar to what some of us experienced in the 70s and 80s.

Most DCUM posters are too sophisticated for such stuff; they want their kids to attend charter schools in DC where the big thing is an independent art project where you get bonus points if the cultural references are particularly bleak and obscure.

LMAO!

Some of the best rivalries in NoVa are Yorktown and W-L, Langley and McLean, Robinson and Lake Braddock, and Chantilly and Westfield. Individual football and basketball games for those contests will often sell out, and the atmosphere is pretty similar to what some of us experienced in the 70s and 80s.

Most DCUM posters are too sophisticated for such stuff; they want their kids to attend charter schools in DC where the big thing is an independent art project where you get bonus points if the cultural references are particularly bleak and obscure.

High School football games tend to draw a large crowd. Not sure about all the other sports.

Well, I'm 37, so it's been a while, but I think the OP's post pretty well described my highschool time at McLean High School. Nowadays my family lives near Yorktown. Last Saturday their girls soccer team was in a regional tournament - my five year old and I were playing on the playground adjacent to the field and heard the warm up music and he wanted to go so we did. They do still sell tickets, and I shelled out the $6 (for me, my son was free) even though it wasn't my school and I have no child there. The stands certainly weren't packed or a sell out, but there was decent attendance from both parents and peers.

Sorry, I entered from Recent Topics.

My bad.

Anonymous wrote:
The reason we don't have this "pep" is because it's just not part of our culture here. When you're talking about the prestigious schools in this area, within the context of this competitive environment, "school spirit" translates into "obnoxious bragging."

What would a "pep rally" at a local private sound like to someone except patting oneself on the shoulder? We focus on other school events instead.

I think you're confused. You stumbled into the VA Public Schools forum. Privates are a click away.

I meant "patting oneself on the back."

The reason we don't have this "pep" is because it's just not part of our culture here. When you're talking about the prestigious schools in this area, within the context of this competitive environment, "school spirit" translates into "obnoxious bragging."

What would a "pep rally" at a local private sound like to someone except patting oneself on the shoulder? We focus on other school events instead.

I don't have a kid in HS, but we live around the corner from Chantilly HS and we see lots of yards with signs out front like "23 Football Tyler" or a minivan with 3 sports stickers for the same child. We had a Homecoming parade that went right by our house that has a lot of community involvement. I don't know about spirit in the community at large, but we hear the football games and what not in our backyard and it sounds like fun.

Anonymous wrote:PWC is very different than FFX or Arlington.

PWC? I guess it's something other than PriceWaterhouse Coopers?
OP, lots of basketball games will sell out in our area. But I haven't been to a sold out high school football game since growing up in Western PA, where football is a religion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. Maybe I'm being naive? I grew up in pwc schools, and we had pep rallies, football nights had overflowing parking lots, kids wore their school tshirts to practice and also "spirit week", even choral concerts were packed with standing ovations. Does this not happen in fairfax/arlington/alexandria? Really? It's all about the gifted program and that's it? Is there any wholesome fun at high school these days?

Not saying that this is good, but except for one or two events per year (and maybe not even that), I think you'll find no such thing inside the beltway, nor anywhere in the Corridor.

OP, I went to Langley, and you describe my high school experience. From what I understand, b/c I work with a lot of parents whose kids go there now, it still has a lot of school spirit too. Go LHS!