What makes sports teams such an important part of Greeley culture? With Greeley girls swimming winning the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and Federation team championships and Greeley girls lacrosse having an undefeated season until sectionals in 2022, Greeley sports teams have had great success. However, these teams do not just care about winning: the heart of the teams stems from the traditions that bring them together.
Many of the teams plan activities or themed outfits for school on game days to motivate the players and draw in a large student section. Teams such as boys lacrosse and boys soccer often dress up in button-downs and ties for game days. Greeley sophomore Ryder Goodman, a member of boys varsity soccer, remarked, “Wearing button-downs and ties at school on game days makes us stand out from the rest of the student body and strengthens our team bond.” Likewise, to build relationships among players, girls varsity tennis celebrates each game day by passing a tennis ball around school. Girls varsity lacrosse has passed around a lacrosse stick. Similarly, girls varsity soccer passed around a large stuffed horse during a country-themed day! Teams let their creativity shine by dressing up as characters such as their favorite princess movie or a “frat” boy.
In conjunction with the matching outfits, many teams host breakfasts on game days. Members bring an assortment of breakfast foods to school, such as munchkins or bagels. The team bonds over good food and company, setting the right mood for the game later that day.
Greeley sports teams deeply value their team traditions. Senior girls soccer captain Ramsey Edison explained that “Ever since I was a freshman on GSOC, everyone on the team looked forward to going to The Candlelight Inn, which is a restaurant owned by our former coach, Erin Tracy. We all looked forward to sitting in the room upstairs where she would let us order whatever we wanted. Although she isn’t our coach anymore, we are still continuing the tradition by having at least one team dinner there every season.” The team also organizes a car wash every season to raise money. According to Greeley sophomore Rowan Edson, the car wash was another successful team-building and community-based event. “The car wash was a tradition on GSOC before I was on the team, but my freshman year we didn’t do it because of COVID. When I heard we were doing it this year, I was excited even though I didn’t know what to expect. It turned out to be an amazing bonding experience for the team. We were playing music while recruiting people from town to [get their car washed] and had fun while [cleaning] the cars.”
These team traditions are far more than just activities students do for fun. They help student athletes perform better and establish a motivated mindset for a meet, game, or match. Horace Greeley senior Erica Rosendorf, a member of the varsity girls lacrosse team, reflected on the role of traditions in preparation for important matches: “The night before big games, it has been a tradition to do team bonding late at night to prepare for the next day. Also, since sectionals are very important we make sure to hype each other up in the locker room before we warm up.” Team traditions establish unparalleled camaraderie as the players are able to step onto the field all fired up. Aidan Lane, a sophomore on Greeley varsity field hockey, reiterated a similar point, “By being motivated and energized through our traditions, we are able to work together as a team and be more effective on the field.” The efforts student athletes put into bringing their teams together translates to chemistry on and off the field. Ultimately, this paves the way for fruitful seasons.