Football season has ended, as well as the student school spirit that has slowly come to a stop. Ready to pick up the pieces, senior Darrison Tellez plans to get students excited for this year’s basketball season.
An idea that started in 2012 has now encouraged Bellevue West students to participate actively in school spirit. During basketball, Tellez is focusing on recruiting members to expand the wingspan of the Flock Squad. His focus is on building a big enough flock to help support athletes as they compete, and encourage them to do better.
“I felt there wasn’t enough school spirit,” Tellez said. “Being the person I am I wanted to spark a revolution.”
The idea of the Flock Squad is to bring as many people together as possible to help encourage Bellevue West athletics and organizations. Some students may see the Flock Squad as an exclusive club that only certain people can be part of, when in reality, the entire student body composes the Flock Squad.
“Everyone at Bellevue West is a part of Flock Squad. My advice is just to go to every game you can,” sophomore Josh Lambert said.
What then started off as an idea by student council to make sporting events fun so more people would show up has now turned into an opportunity for proud students to boost support og their fellow classmates.
“I come to games because of the people in it, the status of it and the competition the Flock Squad has with the other team’s student section,” Lambert said.
Even a game that was 147 miles away could not stop the goal of the Flock Squad, which was to help support the varsity football team at state. Outnumbering Grand Island’s student section by many, students in the Flock Squad were still happy even after losing game.
“The best part is getting to be myself,” Lambert said. “I get to make people smile and laugh too.”
The climax for the Flock Squad this year was at a home game versus Omaha North. Tellez came up with the idea to throw baby powder in the air when Bellevue West made their first touchdown. After the first touchdown and also after winning the game is when clouds of baby powder poured over the stands filled with Flock Squad members. Pictures of the event spread around school and video of the event was shown on the news.
Of course this season, basketball will be located inside the gym with very little room to throw things such as baby powder, but the Flock Squad has bigger and better plans. Leaving room for surprise, no such plans have been revealed, except to have to fun.
“All you do is go to the game and cheer as loud as you can,” freshman Megan Hoppe said. “It keeps everyone entertained.”
Only in its second year, Tellez and the rest of Flock Squad have upped their game, wishing that during basketball season they will be more powerful than ever.
“It’s still currently very young,” says Tellez. “But thus far the people make it grow.”
Reporter Sophia Vanfosson (with additional reporting by Jake Reckin)
