The Enquirer’s Spirit Award is back, and if you haven’t voted for your favorite cheer or dance team yet, what are you waiting for? This isn't just another poll buried in the sports section. This is a direct line to show the squads who push the energy in our gyms and stadiums that we see them, we appreciate them, and their work matters.
Let's be real. The halftime performance or the sideline routine is often treated as background noise—the filler before the "real" action resumes. But anyone who has ever watched a great team knows it's anything but filler. The precision, the athleticism, the sheer hours of practice to make those stunts and sequences look effortless… that’s the heart of a school’s spirit. These teams are the constant. Players graduate, seasons end, but the spirit squad is there, game after game, fueling the atmosphere.
That’s why a community-voted award like this hits different. It’s not decided by a panel of judges looking at technical scores. It’s decided by us—the parents in the stands, the alumni following from afar, the students who feel the boost from a perfectly timed chant. It’s a recognition of impact. It says, "You set the tone. You built this feeling."
So, this is my plug: head over and vote. Do it for the team at your alma mater. Do it for the local squad your niece is on. Do it for that one team whose energy you caught on a Friday night and it actually made you forget about your workweek for a couple of hours.
This award celebrates the groups that are the literal embodiment of school spirit. They turn a game into an event. They deserve the spotlight, not just for their backflips and formations, but for being the unwavering pulse of our community sports culture. Let’s make sure they feel it.
Cast your vote. Give credit where it’s loudly, proudly, and rhythmically due.
