Friday night lights (FNL) is a tradition that brings families, friends and players together. Creating this well-known atmosphere is no small task and requires huge amounts of effort from the football team, cheer squad and marching band. Trinity High School is right in the middle of the FNL season, but what preparation went into this beloved tradition over the summer?

When asking Mr. Knause, Trinity’s new head football coach, about this summer and the hard work the football players put into it, he spoke very highly of attendance and teamwork. He explained that attending practice all summer doesn’t guarantee anything, but it provides opportunities. There was a two-week training camp for our football players over the summer, with the first week being heat acclimation training and the next having two required practices per day.

Knause stated, “They [camps] prepare you mentally and physically and that’s all we ask out of our players.”

For Knause, teamwork is the key when it comes to football: “Teamwork and learning how to work as a team is something you will always keep with you. When we have one ball and twenty-two players on the field, each with their own individual job, it’s very important that we work together.”

Cheerleaders also play a big part in the image of FNL. Over the summer they had several practices per week to prepare, along with hosting a sports camp for youth cheerleaders. At this camp, the cheer squad showcased their leadership skills by teaching young girls new cheers, dances, jumps and stunts followed by a performance on Thursday that their parents got to watch.

Senior cheer captain Sierra Craig shared that her favorite memory from FNL is doing stunts to get the crowd going and being able to share what they did over the summer.

 “We love doing the ‘Do It’ cheer. It gets everyone excited. The fan section brings energy and that gets us and the team excited,” she said.

Craig also shared that to be a good cheerleader and captain one needs to be a helpful person, a good leader and needs to make an effort to get along with the other girls.

One of the most overlooked and important things about FNL is the marching band and all the hard work that goes into their sound and performances. Alexia Caldwell, drum major at Trinity High School, spoke about the two-week camp they have each summer, with each practice lasting up to ten hours a day. 

Much like with football and cheerleading, good attendance among members is crucial to the marching band as they prepare their show.

Caldwell said, “If there are people missing it’s hard to be productive. There are gaps in our formations.” 

The struggle of the heat and vacations getting in the way of their practices is one of the hardest parts of these camps. In her role as drum major, Caldwell explained that the key to being a good leader and dealing with these hardships is, “responsibility, listening and hearing people.”

The fan section is also a big part of Friday Night Lights. It keeps students engaged in school sports along with providing a safe social event they can attend. Knause, Craig and Caldwell stated that the fan section brings more to the atmosphere and helps lift everyone up. The atmosphere has a positive effect on the game that the players feed off.

The next home game is September 30 and the theme is neon. Come support the football players, cheerleaders and the band and appreciate the hard work they’ve done over the summer!