Young People Ask . . .

Should We Go to the Pep Rally?

‘FIGHT, team, fight!’ ‘Win, win, win!’ The slogans are chanted over and over with mounting enthusiasm and near-​religious fervor. The gymnasium rocks to the steady beat of music and pounding drums. Colorfully costumed girls and boys lead the cheers and victory songs, at the same time dazzling their peers with acrobatic stunts and frenetic dancing. Team coaches and athletic directors give boastful assurances of victory. Then, to the deafening cheers of their fans, the home team appears. The crowd is whipped into a virtual frenzy, and the excitement reaches a crescendo. Victory will be theirs!

In many schools, pep rallies are eagerly anticipated events. And while from time to time, rallies of sorts are held to generate enthusiasm for various school projects, pep rallies are held in connection with upcoming school sporting events: football, soccer, baseball, basketball. For many youths a pep rally is more than a break from the school routine. It is a chance to give the school team needed support, to cheer on their sports heroes, to spur the team on to victory! Pep rallies also serve to kindle school spirit and a sense of solidarity among students.

Granted, not everybody cares about sports. Some students simply enjoy the energy, fun, and excitement of the rallies. “It’s a time to hang loose and act crazy,” says one youth. For others, sports rallies are a chance to miss class​—or to mix freely with the opposite sex. “It’s a time for boyfriends and girlfriends to get together,” says one teenage boy.

At any rate, many educators believe that supporting school sporting events is a vital part of the educational process. In her book The High School Survival Guide​—An Insider’s Guide to Success, Barbara Mayer writes: “Any student who walks away from high school without . . . sitting in the stands and cheering for the home team . . . has passed up some of the happiest times and greatest opportunities for growth he may see for some time.” Little wonder that in some schools, pep rallies are allowed to replace regularly scheduled classes.

If such events take place in your school, perhaps you have thought about attending. Indeed, you may be under some pressure to do so. Failure to attend may well cause others to look down on you as snobbish or disloyal. Nevertheless, there are good reasons for Christian youths not to attend.

Enthusiasm or Fanaticism?

Not that the Bible is anti sports. The Bible acknowledges that “physical exercise has some value.” (1 Timothy 4:8, Today’s English Version) Many Christians​—young and old—​enjoy both watching and participating in various sports. Kept in moderation, sports can be enjoyable, beneficial.a

Pep rallies, however, can transform healthy enthusiasm for sports into deadly fanaticism. In ancient Rome, according to the book Sports and Games in the Ancient World, “frantic applause, shouting and cheering would fill the air” at Roman sporting events. Not surprisingly, then, “fanaticism inevitably flourished.” During gladiatorial fights, “spectators added their shouts of ‘Kill! Hit! Strike!,’” hardening themselves to the fact that they were urging the cold-​blooded murder of another human.

Sports fanaticism is also alive and unhealthy today. After a European soccer match in which fan violence resulted in the death of 38 people, Discover magazine suggested that the reason was the “sense of anonymity” that results from being in a crowd. Thus, the person feels less responsibility for his actions. However, the Bible warns at Exodus 23:2: “You must not follow after the crowd for evil ends.” But can simply cheering and yelling for one’s team really be that evil? Yes. Discover magazine noted that “the cheering and shouting at a sports event represents a sort of verbal aggression that, for some people, can easily slip over into physical aggression.”

Could it possibly be beneficial, then, to chant slogans and rhymes that urge athletes to smash their opponents? Young Gerald recalls the pep rallies he used to attend: “They were loud with boisterous yelling. The crowd sometimes got too rowdy. The rallies were more like war rituals that incited us to riot. Words like ‘kill,’ ‘stomp,’ and ‘whip’ were constantly used.” At times words become action. Young Perry recalls a rally where “everybody took sticks and began beating up a replica of the opposing team’s mascot. When it was over, they had mutilated the mascot.”

Who is immune to such a contagious spirit of violence? With good reason, then, the Bible warns: “Bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) As one young student admits: “You can’t help but be influenced to do what everybody else is doing.” And if you did become a party to violence, there could be serious consequences. Recall that the ancient Edomites cheered on the Babylonians when they plundered Jerusalem. “Lay it bare! Lay it bare to the foundation!” the Edomites cried. (Psalm 137:7) However, God roundly condemned their vengeful, violent spirit. (Obadiah 1, 8, 12) Could one carry on similarly today and not incur God’s displeasure?

True, not all pep rallies​—and not all sports events—​are violent. But even when a measure of sobriety prevails, is it appropriate for a Christian to mouth chants that express a fanatically loyal or perhaps even worshipful attitude toward a school or a sports team? (Compare Exodus 20:5.) Does screaming out provocative slogans harmonize with the counsel at Ephesians 4:29, 31? We read: “Let a rotten saying not proceed out of your mouth . . . Let all malicious bitterness and anger and wrath and screaming and abusive speech be taken away from you along with all badness.” Will attending an emotion-​charged rally help you cultivate the fruitage of God’s spirit, which includes “mildness” and “self-​control”? (Galatians 5:22, 23) Or will it simply stir up an ungodly spirit of fierce competition?​—Compare Philippians 2:3.

Of course, circumstances vary. Sometimes attendance at school assemblies is mandatory, and a pep rally may be a part of the program. Pep rallies themselves may vary in style and content. And while no hard-​and-​fast rule can be made as to attendance, a Christian youth is wise to discuss such matters with his parents and weigh the various factors involved. (See Proverbs 24:6.) If you decide not to get involved in pep rallies, you may have to stand up to powerful peer pressure. But always remember that your first loyalty is to God​—not to some school or team.

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‘I Want to Be a Cheerleader!’

Many young girls​—and boys—​yearn for the prestige, recognition, and popularity that comes with being a cheerleader. “It boosts your spirits to get people up and excited,” says Lisa, a girl quoted in Seventeen magazine. “And it feels great to have everyone watching you!” Other youths are attracted to the social possibilities cheerleading offers. When recruiters tried to get young Hannah to sign up for tryouts, she was told: “It is going to make you popular and get you in with the boys.” Some girls claim that cheerleading has boosted their self-​esteem.

Nevertheless, life for a cheerleader is not all pom-​poms and acrobatic leaps. There is often fierce competition at tryouts; rejection can be traumatic. Outright animosity may exist between squads from rival schools. Furthermore, some of today’s intricate cheerleading routines require virtually the skill of Olympic gymnasts. Injuries are common. Cheerleaders must thus spend long hours each week practicing. As a manual on cheerleading says, one must “be dedicated to cheerleading and songleading as a way of life.”

Could a Christian really be “dedicated” to something as vain as promoting school spirit? Hardly; nor would it be appropriate for a Christian youth to urge a crowd to chant slogans or to sing songs that glorify violence or idolize teams and sports heroes. And, as mentioned previously, the danger of “bad associations” is a valid concern. (1 Corinthians 15:33) Too, let us not forget the obvious problems that could result from parading around​—and dancing—​in the immodest attire cheerleaders are often required to wear.​—1 Timothy 2:9.

All things considered, it is clear that cheerleading is inappropriate for a Christian youth. His or her dedication to Jehovah is far more important.

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Does the spirit aroused at pep rallies harmonize with Christian principles?