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Lining up in two rows, students form a tunnel for athletes to run through. While Director of Athletics Kim Smith works with Athletic Leadership Council to organize pep rallies, she brought the idea of the student tunnel to pep rallies through her own initiative. As a member of the middle school tennis team, Juliet Park (’31) said her favorite aspect of the event was going through the tunnel — even more than other aspects like being recognized onstage or the dance.
Photo credit: Melinda Wang
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Standing side-by-side, the varsity beach volleyball team is celebrated for this season’s accomplishments. Smith said pep rallies build school spirit and community, as students come together to celebrate each other for the spring season. “Our athletes are doing such amazing things,” Smith said. “Many of our sports are off campus, so a lot of our students don’t get to see our teams compete; to be able to share that with them on campus is incredibly special.”
Photo credit: Melinda Wang
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Underneath the sun, spectators wear items for protection such as sunglasses and baseball caps. Ila Katz (’28) sat near the front of the stage and said while she found the pep rally fun, the heat from the sun was distracting. For next year, Katz said tents could be added for shade to improve the overall experience.
Photo credit: Melinda Wang
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Jacqueline Mayne (’28) runs to pass under the student tunnel. Alexandria Haro (’29) said she was a part of the tunnel to celebrate her friends, along with the wider Archer community. “It was fire. I have to appreciate everyone’s hard work,” Haro said.
Photo credit: Melinda Wang
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Middle schoolers watch their fellow athletes receive recognition from ALC. Nava Honarpour (’31) was a spectator and, after watching the middle school track team being honored, said she enjoys how she can contribute to supporting her peers. “The whole community is really nice, and I think that’s really cool because it helps bring [all of us] closer together.”
Photo credit: Melinda Wang
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Two students cheer to celebrate the athletes onstage. Smith said pep rallies are a way to teach students the value of recognizing their peers. “And really, for those [who] don’t know what it means to be a part of the pep rally, what does that look like? [They may ask,] ‘how do I support?’ ‘What do I say?’ ‘What do I do?,'” Smith said. “So, it’s really teaching the community how to celebrate the athletes.”
Photo credit: Melinda Wang
Cheers and rounds of applause filled Archer’s courtyard as student-athletes ran through a human tunnel and received recognition for their accomplishments in their respective sports. The spring pep rally was led by the Athlete Leadership Council and overseen by Director of Athletics Kim Smith Friday, May 9, in the courtyard. The event began with a performance by Archer’s Dance Company and transitioned into a celebration of spring athletes.
Although the pep rally is mainly student-run, Smith helps with logistical aspects, such as music and the order in which sports are announced. She said although she had previously taken the lead in running the event, it is helpful to have students take on a larger role and brainstorm ideas for more community outreach.
“We put together all the logistics that are needed, [and we] put together a playlist — music that will motivate the community and celebrate the athletes,” Smith said. “We partner with tech [and] communications to take photos to promote that on our social media and then we put together all of the highlights from each of our teams, making sure that they are presented to the community. Then, I work with our Athlete Leadership Council students to go through those highlights and really working with them to stand in their strength.”
Sophomore Eva Garon played JV tennis during the winter season. She said the pep rally helped her feel accomplished and celebrated among her peers.
“My favorite part of the pep rally is seeing all the different athletes go up there and get appreciated for their sport,” Garon said. “They’re thankful for the recognition that they get through the pep rally, [and] they’re happy they get to have their accomplishments recognized.”
When Smith first implemented pep rallies at Archer, she said she did not expect them to grow into such large events, now involving dance performances.
“We have 68% more students participating in athletics, which is amazing. I see the pep rallies as an opportunity to create school spirit around our athletics program, and I see it as an opportunity to celebrate the athletes, create a sense of community and really motivate our teams,” Smith said. “So what I started to do is partner with dance and bring in a dance performance to really set the tone for the pep rally. I also wanted to have our Athlete Leadership Council students have another platform to lead, and to be in front and be visible”.
Varsity softball player Makenzie Hilton (’28) said pep rallies provide recognition for athletes that they don’t normally receive daily.
“I think pep rallies are really good because they bring our community together to support the sports, since they don’t always get as much attention,” Hilton said. “I think it’s nice so that everyone can hear our progress, how we’ve been doing and keep updated with our sports.”
Smith said her favorite tradition at the pep rally is the student-formed tunnel, as it brings joy to the Archer community.
“I love to see, ‘I represent Archer, I’m playing my sport for Archer — my community,'” Smith said. “[I love to] see them shine as they come through the tunnel and then they’re celebrated on stage, and to also see the [Athlete Leadership Council] leaders grow through the years. They’ve become more confident and started to find their voice and so that’s really rewarding for me to see.”
