As fall sports come to an end, winter sports are preparing for a competitive season. Additionally, the end of fall sports also means the end of front line. The weather gets colder and sports are inside, so no more spelling out “Spartan Nation” on the stomachs of crazy fans.
In the winter, Pleasant Valley students replace front line with a group called “blue crew”. This group is larger and more inclusive than the front line. “Blue crew is really exciting because we can expand front line and the football players are there to cheer on the other sports,” voiced senior Sam Mowbray. All seniors have the opportunity to join blue crew and get a blue crew jersey, but the student section leaders remain in charge of themes and the Twitter account.
The transition from front line to blue crew is a big step for the student section. Since all seniors are allowed to purchase jerseys, the front line is larger. Basketball games typically draw more seniors in the student section because anyone can stand up front and wear the jersey. Student section leader Andrew Schiltz stated, “The student sections in the gym are a lot closer so we will be a lot louder. It’s also easier to communicate with other student sections because they’re just across the gym.”
Even winter sport players, cheerleaders and dancers can order jerseys and wear them when they are not performing or playing. Senior basketball player Macy Beinborn added, “I play for the girls’ basketball team but I will still get a jersey because I can wear them to men’s games. It’s a senior tradition I don’t want to miss out on.”
The jerseys can be purchased online and personalized. The front of the jersey is the same for everyone and students can add a nickname and number on the back. Seniors get goofy matching names and numbers and it is a great opportunity for them to bond. There is a 10 letter limit for nicknames and the number must be one to two digits, but the rest is all up to the students.
The jerseys are not just useful during winter sports; students continue to wear them year-round. Seniors often wear the jerseys on spring break, to the senior picnic or other senior class pictures.
The seniors take pride in wearing them to every game and look forward to them. The process is something only seniors can participate in, so they look forward to it every year. The order form is now available on the PV student section twitter page. Ordering is open until Nov. 7 at the following link: https://stores.inksoft.com/pv_blue_crew. The jerseys will arrive on Nov. 27, just in time for the first basketball game.
