High school football game

Friday night I went to a high school football game.  Now when I was in high school I attended every single football game both home and away games, why you ask? Not because I was such a vivid fan, but I was in the band.  We played in the stands and marched during half time.  Now that I am 20 years removed from high school the experience was different.

It cost 8 dollars to get in, wow inflation doesn't miss anything.  You were not allowed to bring anything food or drink related in the stadium, capitalism at its finest as I paid $4 for candy and water.  The crowd was the same, parents supporting their students and students avoiding their parents.  Roving packs of teenagers all wearing the same things trying desperately to stand out from the crowd.  We took a seat on the concrete bleachers and watched the band play the pregame song.  I was thrilled! GO BAND I wanted to shout.  The band made their way up to the bleachers and the game started, The cheer leaders came out, all long hair, tan skin and short form fitting uniforms.  I remember cheer uniforms being the pleated skirts and covering more, these had almost spagetti straps and cut outs on the top and the skirt was a mini skirt.  Looking down the line at the perky bouncing cheerleaders I wondered if there was a weight requirement and if they had to have long hair.  They announced the football home team and the boys ran through the giant paper to start the game.  I noticed a difference, when I was in school the football players ran through a giant paper, tearing it as they burst forth.  These kids, ran through a banner made of material that had  velcro holding it so when they pushed through it ripped neatly down the middle and was rolled up to use at the next game.  There was also a fog machine that made it look like a rock show.

The game was  the same, a bit of a blow out but the same.  My eyes drifted from the players to the cheerleaders to the band.  As an adult I can now see the inter-connectedness of high school football games.  The band is clearly the low end of the totem pole but they provide the music that the cheerleaders dance too.  The cheerleaders dance to keep the football players interested and the football players play to win the game!  The band is only there to support the football team so it is the circle of life.