Monday Final

So Saturday was Homecoming.
I have to keep explaining the concept of Homecoming to the kids; over the years it's sort of evolved and lost some meaning.
It's become more about a football game than a well, homecoming, a return.
Even the football part is lost as there aren't really any road trips here.
I mean the furthest school is only an hour away.
Anyways, Homecoming it is:

Of course one team has to be the visitors; our side on the left, the visitors on the right.
Their band showed up a bit later.
Doing the alma mater thingy:

I'm always conflicted here: I work there, but I'm not a graduate; do I still sing?
For a school with a large student body, we field a small team numbers wise.
Being an urban school, we just don't have the feeder programs like pop warner and stuff.
Dressing thirty or forty seems to be the norm, then there's academic casualties and injuries and stuff.
Still, they play!
It was also Senior Night:

The last time the seniors take the home field, which is ironic seeing as how we play on the field of another school.
This field is used by three or four schools in the Honolulu district.
We were supposed to get our own field, but the plans were downgraded to just a practice field.
Oh well.
Play ball!
Wait.
That's baseball.
Kick off!
Or something.

Then at halftime came the Homecoming thingys:

Only the second time I've ever been in the stands.
It's like, like you can see everything! from up there!
The King and Queen:

Then the dance club finished up:

I gotta say, up there in the stands is a whole nother ball game!
Literally!
Down on the field it's all business while up in the stands folks are goofing around having fun and enjoying the game.
Even if we weren't winning.
Speaking of not winning:

I gotta say, I'm proud of the way our students played.
Down the whole game, they never gave up.
I mean even in games where they know they may not have a chance, they strap it on and go hard!
Even though we weren't going to win, nearly everyone stayed till the end, even the band!

I often harp on the kids for not having school spirit, for not investing in their school.
I stood there on the sidelines, listening to crowd continue to chant and cheer even though the scoreboard told a different story.
I got a warm fuzzy.
Homecoming indeed.