Brandon came into the 22/23 football season with one goal: to win. Admittedly, the team didn’t achieve that in the first two weeks of the season; however, the support of teammates and the community makes a team stronger. We were incredibly disappointed to see the Brandon community flooding students’ and coaches’ feeds with abusive statements. People were begging past players to come back, insulting the coaching staff, and insulting the team’s efforts this year. Fully grown adults were bashing teenagers for playing the game they love. As a student-athlete, you turn to your community for support, not insults and abandonment. Watching videos and reading tweets that bring players down rather than uplifting them should be a cause for reflection in the Brandon community. The coaches, players, football managers, and many others sacrifice blood, sweat, and tears daily for this team’s success. When we look at the field, we see winners, whether the scoreboard reflects that or not.

Seeing the Brandon community bash their team rather than cheer them on was disheartening and sparked anger in many students. When will we return to uplifting teenagers rather than degrading them for things that are bound to happen? Is it only when they’re winning? Once our losing streak turned into a winning one, we saw the community change its entire point of view. Responses changed from degrading to cheerful. The Bulldogs will become a better team if we all stick together and support one another. They won’t continue to succeed if we are tearing our team apart. The football season has just started. Plenty of games are left to play, and the Brandon community as a whole would be better off inspiring BHS Football to strive for greatness despite our past failures. At Brandon High School, we strive for excellence, but we know the only way to achieve that greatness is with support and encouragement from all! Join us in cheering our Bulldogs on every step of the way- win or lose!