School spirit is made obvious in pep rallies and the student sections of high school and college games.  The less popular sports, however, do not experience this energetic spirit.  Games provide a social gathering for schools to show their identity with the school and support.  In big-time schools, a relatively small amount of students show up to the games due to either not caring for showing school spirit or high ticket prices for good seats.

Critics have said that going to a school game is associated with the opportunity to drink and get rowdy, which has nothing to do with educational goals.  According to Coakley, for school spirit to be of any educational significance, “it must be part of an overall program in which students are treated as valued participants and given a sense of ownership in the school and its activities” (505).  Students need to be more active in their involvement with school on a daily basis, not waiting just for the weekends to show their pride for the school on game day.