Friday nights, under the bright lights of Jag Stadium, echoes of ‘ADN’ fill the air. Standing in the crowded student section – barely enough room for everyone – some may wonder how these chants start. The answer? The Blue Crew.
The Blue Crew is Athens Drive’s student section. They decide the themes of each game and lead cheers. However, Blue Crew is more than just a cheering section; they are the leaders of school spirit here at Athens and ensure that at every game, our team has the home-field advantage.
However, this iconic group of students wasn’t always a part of the Drive. Blue Crew was founded in 2007, when math teacher Christopher Remaley borrowed the idea from Garner High School.
“Their Student Spirit group was also called the Blue Crew– been that way since the early 80s!” said Remaley. “Since we never seem to play Garner, I shared this idea with the Student leaders at the time, and they got behind it, and voila! We still have the Blue Crew today!”
Although Remaley can be credited as the ‘founder’ of the Blue Crew, Athletic Director Travis Seese is in more direct contact with the group. He approves the themes for each game and provides insight into ways we can attract the student body.
“The idea of it is to be very student-run and student-led,” said Seese. “All I really do is get them up and running and approve what they want to do.”
The Blue Crew is made up of students from all grade levels. As long as you can be loud at games, there’s an opening for any student. Coming up with new cheers and being loud enough for everyone to catch on may be a challenge, but not for Senior Nathan Kogi, one of the student section leaders.
“I’m a leader in the Blue Crew, which means I’m responsible for starting the chants,” said Kogi. “I joined the Blue Crew to show my school spirit, since I don’t play for any school sports teams.”
Another leader within the Blue Crew is Senior Ainsley Moore. Moore says that the atmosphere of the games is one of the most important factors in drawing people into attending. Her favorites, basketball and football, have a unique atmosphere that most sports can’t foster.
“Everyone just gets so hype, and we have themes for them, and it’s just a lot of fun to be in that atmosphere,” said Moore. “I think people should go to the games because it’s a great way to make memories in high school and a good way to get involved and just have fun.”
However, it isn’t only cheers that Blue Crew members have to come up with. Instagram and TikTok posts on @adnbluecrew, game themes, and ways to engage the student body are all a part of being on Blue Crew. Senior member Braxton Whitaker emphasizes the role of the Blue Crew in supporting students participating in sporting events.
“The role of Blue Crew is to build school spirit and help with the behind-the-scenes of themes for games and lead the rest of the student body,” said Whitaker. “I think that Blue Crew definitely helps to encourage others to have more school spirit, attend sporting events, and support their Jags.”
Win or lose, supporting our friends and fellow Jags is a vital part of the sports experience and high school life. Remaley says that attending games is a great way to immerse yourself in the culture of the Drive and be part of something bigger than yourself.
“I think the more students join the Blue Crew and come to sporting events to support + cheer on their fellow students, the better we are as a whole,” said Remaley. “I have a belief that we are ‘better together’ and that means showing up and cheering on our teams even if we are losing!”
Joining Blue Crew and continuing this legacy of school spirit is important for the underclassmen coming into Athens. Although it may seem intimidating, Whitaker says it’s an all-around good time to bond with your friends and classmates.
“People should go to games because they can be really entertaining to watch and are a great place to have fun with your friends. Everyone is there to have a good time,” said Whitaker. “I would definitely encourage anyone who wants to do Blue Crew to do so. It. It’s an awesome group of people who love the Drive and want to see people excited.”
