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| At the first Game Day held at Our Lady Queen of Peace School in Madison, volleyball players, left, congratulate each other after the game. Above, the new QP Knight mascot greets fans in the school gym. (Photo by Crocodile Smiles Photography) |
MADISON — Our Lady Queen of Peace School (a.k.a. QP) recently hosted an inaugural QP Game Day, which promoted school athletics in a festive, interactive atmosphere that excited players, coaches, and fans.
Organized by QP’s own Spirit Club, which is made up of over 20 middle school students, the event was filled with activities to promote athletics and school pride.
The fall Game Day focused on girls volleyball, as QP’s fifth to eighth grade teams faced off against opponents from other Madison Area Independent Sports League (MAISL) schools.
Promoting Game Day
Spirit Club members actually started promoting Game Day a few weeks prior to the event by putting together a promotional video that was shown to students and staff and was posted on the school’s social media sites.
“We wanted this day to have the tone of an enthusiastic, high school sports atmosphere,” said Melissa Cary, event organizer.
During Game Day, members of the Spirit Club hosted sign making and face painting stations for fans, and played high-energy music between games while teams warmed up for their matches.
Both student and adult guest speakers announced the teams before each match, and parents/family members created human tunnels for the volleyball players to run through from their locker room. Spirit Club also led cheers and introduced the new QP Knight mascot.
“Game Day really got me excited to play. It was fun to have a large gathering of people to cheer you on,” commented a QP athlete.
Because this was truly a fall sports event, the seventh to eighth grade football players were announced between games, recognizing their athletic effort as well.
Opposing teams acknowledged
Of course, the day was focused on Our Lady Queen Of Peace School, but with sportsmanship in mind, the opposing teams were also acknowledged and each of their athletes were introduced before matches.
MAISL, as well as a couple other schools, have already contacted QP to get information on how they may implement a similar event within their community.
QP’s Spirit Club is planning to host a Game Day for upcoming winter and spring sports. Student athletes, coaches, parents, and of course the fans can attest to the fun environment.
Our Lady Queen of Peace School offers the following sports:
Fall: Boys touch football and girls volleyball
Winter: Boys and girls basketball
Spring: Boys and girls track, boys volleyball, and girls softball