Westside’s 2025-2026 Red Shield leaders are taking school spirit to the next level this year, bringing bigger numbers, louder cheers, and more involvement at games.
Kalen Carlson has been in charge of Red Shield as the DECA advisor and marketing teacher. This year she made the decision to expand the group to 22 leaders, nearly double from the previous year.
“I have seen a lot of excitement from all of the Red Shield leaders to be involved in all that we do,” Carlson said. “I love that we have gotten back to grilling and tailgating and it seems like we have had a good turnout for those so far!”
Athletic Director Tom Kerkman shared his appreciation and acknowledgment for the spirit from this year’s group at the annual Back to School Barbeque. He has been supportive and impressed with everything he has seen so far this year.
“They bring a ton of positive energy every week, not just for football, but all sports so far,” Kerkman said. “The more leaders we have, the more school spirit it shows. Westside is extremely fortunate to have such positive leaders promoting school spirit every week.”
The larger team has allowed Red Shield to not only keep energy high at football games, but also to send members to support other sports happening at the same time. Senior leader Sean Hughes believes the large size has its challenges, but the benefits outweigh them.
“I think it’s extremely beneficial to get more people at different sports events happening at the same time,” Hughes said. “I think the only drawbacks for the amount of people is that it’s hard to get everyone on the same page sometimes with new ideas, but other than that it works well.”
Not only has the larger group made it possible to cover more events, but it creates an electric atmosphere at games. Leaders such as senior Eli Bartsch-Bang have been impressed with the energy and involvement throughout the entire duration of games.
“One game was a blowout, but the student section stayed energized the whole time as we were able to get everyone involved in chants and other activities,” Bartsch-Bang said.
Red Shield brings tons of fun to the fans such as tailgates, themes, and especially the brand-new t-shirt cannon.
“Red Shield is always able to create an amazing environment for games,” Bartsch-Bang said. “My personal favorite thing I do on Red Shield is being able to shoot the t-shirt cannon at different events. Everyone loves when we bring it out and it really gets people involved at the games and just adds to the experience and atmosphere.”
Members hope to keep the momentum strong as teams progress further into their seasons. Some, like senior Lucy Pocras, have the most fun supporting teams that don’t usually see crowds as large as those at Phelps Field.
“The first volleyball game we went to was super fun because it was our first game being officially on Red Shield,” Pocras said. “Being a girl on Red Shield can make it hard to have your voice always heard, both literally and metaphorically. The volleyball games allow us to be as loud as we want with everyone able to hear, which makes it super fun!”
For senior Amelia Petsick, Red Shield has been just as much about community as it has been about cheering. The role of Red Shield goes far beyond just supporting the sports teams.
“My favorite thing we have done so far is freshman orientation,” Petsick said. “I love getting to bring a high and fun energy to the kids with the rest of Red Shield. Running down the hallways, chanting for them, and helping them find classes was not just fun for us, but hopefully useful for the freshmen as well.”
Carlson has been happy with their performance and commitment to cheering on Westside sports teams. They put in the time and effort to make everyone involved and hype the crowd up.
“Everyone that expressed interest in being a leader was very passionate about it,” Carlson said. “We didn’t really see any drawbacks from trying the bigger group, and so far I would say it’s worked out pretty great!”
As the year continues, Red Shield leaders want to keep building Westside pride, not just in football but across every sport and event.
“In the future we hope to be able to continue to have great turnouts at the games and be able to provide a strong student fan base for not only the continuation of football season but all other sports at Westside,” Bartsch-Bang said. “I believe we have one of the best fan bases in the state, and athletes always play better when they feel supported.”
