The chants, the concessions, the scoreboard, and drum circles at winning games. Football games are filled to the brim with excited students, many of which, believe it or not, know little to nothing about the sport they pay to see. Until this year, I have been one of those students.

I spent a year learning to understand a sport I never thought I would care about, though it has, over time, become a crucial aspect of my social life. I started going to football games after my friends promised me that the games held more socializing than watching. There is an unparalleled sense of comradery that comes along with being a part of the student section at a high school football game, regardless of knowledge of the sport.

Throughout the entirety of my freshman year football season, I spent games leaned over to my friend, constantly asking for explanations of what was happening. After the crowd went up screaming and subsequently died down, he would, despite slight frustration, explain the situation to me. Despite my constant confusion, I found fun at each game I went to. As my group of friends and I began to understand football better, my enjoyment of the games grew, but understanding the sport still has never become an integral part of my fun at games.

For many students, the actual game being played is negligible, simply background noise to the social congregation that is the student section.  The students create what feels like a party filled with baby powder bombs and cheering rather than a convention of football fanatics.  Though not everyone appreciates the air filling with baby powder after each touchdown, groups of friends create their own fun and munch on concessions, all while chanting with their fellow students and hoping for victory. Not all students understand the sport they pay to see, but everyone understands the positive atmosphere and shared school spirit which is the highlight of the game for many.

In the case of a victory, even the clueless fans race across the courtyard, their sights set on the drum circle, a celebration of triumph. At drum circles, music is played and the students run and dance in motions only the Lake Brantley Patriots could recognize. The dances, jokes and sounds unite even the most diverse groups of students.

Of course, some of the genuine football fans get irritated at those who make no attempt to understand the game, but each attendee finds their own entertainment at the games. Regardless of the intentions of each individual spectator, everyone hopes for victory and tastes the sting of defeat as one.

Despite my newfound understanding of the sport, I still attend games mostly just to spend time with my friends. At the end of the day, Friday night football games are still the highlight of the week for uninterested spectators and crazed fanatics alike. The games are an integral part of the high school experience for students, regardless of their involvement or understanding.