In February 2023, an administration-penned letter was sent out across the district citing “troublesome” spectator behavior during varsity Basketball games against Pinckney. According to the letter, this was not a new phenomenon, with families directly urged to discuss the importance of positive sportsmanship. It highlighted three spectator guidelines that were supposedly violated: 

• Cheering positively for our team and not against the opponent or officials
• Directing cheers and taunts at individual athletes on opposing teams
• Using profane language [is forbidden]

Since the letter first circulated, Chelsea High School’s student sections have become the subject of constant discussion, remaining a divisive issue for students, parents, and athletes alike. This year, the school’s administration plans to address student section toxicity head-on, challenging what some view to be a negativity-centric student approach to athletics.

“We’ve already had some growth this fall,” assistant principal Andrea Franco said. “In the past, we’ve had students say things to the refs and to the visiting teams. Things about ex-girlfriends, boyfriends, whatever. Just inappropriate things when, really, it should be a space where you’re positively cheering your team on.”

This year, things seem to be looking up, and Franco feels more optimistic about student receptiveness to new guidelines.

“For example,” Franco said, “MHSAA rules state that you can’t have a speaker or amplified music in the student section. Someone brought one to the first football game, and all I had to do was ask politely that it not be played. That was it.”

The administration is making a few key changes to their previous approach, building off of progress made in previous years and immediately setting the tone for behavior during upcoming games.

“We started this year with class meetings,” Franco said. “Last year we only did that with the ninth graders, but this year we met with every single class to make those expectations crystal clear. There’s new verbiage in the handbook about these kinds of things too. It’s similar, but we have the added vigilance of more monitoring and having more staff and students involved. And towards the end of last year, things got much better as we were more persistent. People should know we are holding everyone accountable and following through when things happen. If students feel like nothing’s going to happen, they’ll just continue what they’re doing.”

The administration’s vision extends beyond the spectators themselves. This year, groups such as the marching band were tasked with cultivating a positive environment during games, showcasing a more student-driven approach. 

“We got together with the cheer team one morning and worked with them to find ways to boost participation in the stands,” trombone player Natalie Boos (‘27) said. “For us, it’s been way better. Recently, we got a standing ovation for the first time ever. Whenever the drumline does a cadence, the student section will do the cheers that we prepared for it.”

With past negativity often dominating conversations about Chelsea’s student section, the administration aims to fight that narrative and continue to focus on improvement.

“We really are working hard to make it positive,” Franco said, “so when you come to Chelsea we’re not known for our student section being rude or mean or unruly. We’re known for a student section that positively supports all student-athletes at all events. That’s really what I hope for.”