If you see a spirited pack of Garfield students waving signs and screaming at your next sports game, chances are, you have the Dawg Pound to thank.

The new club, formally named the Garfield Team Support Club, aims to bring spirit to the high school athletics scene.

Lampton Enochs, one of the club’s officers, explained that the idea for the club all started with his experience in JVC soccer. 

“One game, this certain group…they all brought out signs and they had all these cheers,” Enochs said. “Every time I heard [the cheers], it added a new layer to the game…I was like playing for something else.”

From this experience came the club vision: a large group of students that show up consistently to support Garfield athletes with their best school spirit. The club officers choose two sporting events a week for the club to spectate that span across all sports, genders, and levels. The club focuses on showing support for athletic events that tend to get very little attention from the student body. 

“I do track and field, and I feel like my sport is never represented,” said junior Maggie Lear. “I love support from my teammates, but sometimes just like having the same people at every practice, every meet…it just doesn’t feel special.” 

Their intentions are good, but how is the club going to promote attendance to these events? 

At their weekly Wednesday meetings, they discuss themes for games, specific cheers, and incentives for attendance, as well as keeping up the club’s social media to spread the word about upcoming sporting events.

“My ideal vision is that people learn how fun it is to support people and how fun it is to be supported,” Enochs said. He hopes that in time, the Dawg Pound will be synonymous with Garfield and all games will get huge turnouts.

“I think that if it works out how its intended, by including all sports and all games, it will feel very inclusive and hopefully welcoming,” Lear said. 

So keep an eye out, Garfield, the Dawg Pound might be the next opportunity for you to show your school spirit and represent your fellow Bulldogs!