Matthew DePhillips ‘28 Staff Writer
With the seniors graduating, GA is saying goodbye to some of its loudest voices in the stands and hello to a fresh wave of school spirit. The Superfans, the group of students responsible for energy, themes and traditions that fill bleachers on game nights, has passed the torch to a new class of leaders.
The senior Superfans leaders this year included Sean McGettingan ‘26, Jake McVeigh ‘26, Anna Weber ‘26 and Zoey Clark ‘26. Under their leadership, this group of superfans coordinated some memorable theme nights, organized student sections at home games, and worked tirelessly to build a culture where students wanted to show up and support their peers who were competing.
Now, a new group of superfans from the class of 2027 is stepping up to carry that momentum forward. Chris Weber ‘27, Kaylin Trent ‘27, Spencer Beach ‘27, and Maddie Kalikhman ‘27, the superfans for 2026-2027, are already beginning their roles at the closing of this athletic season.
“I’d like to bring more organization, especially with more events than just football and basketball”, Superfan Spencer Beach ‘27 said. “A lot of spring sports have trouble getting people to games”.
The group’s responsibilities go beyond just showing up to games and leading the student section. The superfans are responsible for planning and promoting theme nights, coordinating with the athletics staff, creating promotional content on their Instagram page and making announcements in Morning Meetings.
“I’m excited to lead the student section, that’s always fun,” Beach said. “Picking themes is really fun too, and running the Instagram is pretty cool. It’s not necessarily big things, but fun things to do, hanging out with friends and cheering on classmates.”
For schools like GA, student attendance at athletics events can make a significant difference in the atmosphere. When the stands are full and the fans are loud, it shows. Players notice this difference, and other students who might have been on the fence about attending find themselves buying into it.
“It means a lot, it feels different when your classmates come and watch you play”, Superfan Kaylin Trent ‘27 said. “Because you might be better at your sport than you are at math or something, and then they get to see you perform in something that you spend a lot of time doing outside of school. A lot of people, I feel like it makes them play better”.
This group has big plans regarding the future in an attempt to increase the athletic culture in the school.
“Going up during Morning Meeting more, and encouraging people just to go, making the themes more fun or making handouts or similar things”, Trent said. “Especially for the new freshmen coming in, that’s a way for them to meet older people. So I think trying to cater to everyone and not just the people who play sports is important”.
For GA athletics, the enthusiasm of this new group of leaders might be exactly what the student section needs.