Every Friday night, the seats of Dragon Stadium fill up with anticipating fans, parents, and students. Most of us will never have a chance to actually be on the field running, catching, and calling plays. However, there is one group who really brings football games to life: the band. Our award-winning band is a a 200+ student organization that brings music and enthusiasm to various sporting events and other gatherings. But there is a major problem: we can’t hear them play.
The band should be moved back to the home side bleachers.
High school bands provide much needed spirit and support which can drive comebacks. This positive morale boost for the players can sway the outcome of a game. When the football team is lacking enthusiasm, they need the band behind them, literally. The band has the power of influencing a winning or losing season for the Dragon Football Team.
Additionally, the band is virtually undetectable to their fans due to their distance from the home side. During a game, it is crucial that fans hear the home team’s band louder than the visitor’s. The first game against Lumberton highlights this matter. Many fans who attended stated that they could not hear our band, especially when they were playing at the same time as the Lumberton band.
One of the biggest reasons for the band sitting on the away side is the limited seating on the home side. However, the band didn’t begin sitting on the away side consistently until three years ago due to COVID-19 and social distancing protocols. Before that time, the band and drill team most often sat in the home side stands nearest the score board. The space available has not changed; if there was room then, there is room now.
Mr. Weems, head band director, is currently collaborating with Coach House and Mr. Autrey regarding building new seating in the end zone. However, this comes down to the issue of funding, according to Weems, and this topic is not one that can be resolved within Nacogdoches High School, but requires attention from all of the NISD school board. While this might be a great solution for the future, it does nothing to help the players and fans this year.
The solution is that the band should absolutely be seated on the home side in order to boost morale when it is most needed, thus having a positive impact on the 2023-24 football season. Students and the community should advocate for the band to have a stronger presence by coming back where they belong.