As we transition into winter, basketball replaces football as Cleveland’s choice sports-game-to-watch-with-your-friends. But although it is pretty popular, the team wants a bigger crowd and a higher energy level.

What’s the energy level like? Junior varsity basketball player Nick Brink, a sophomore, said, “They [energy levels] fluctuate during games. It’s either really high or really low and there isn’t much middle ground.”

To that end, assistant boys varsity basketball coach Jazmyn Foster believes that it doesn’t have to be like this. Recently, coach Foster has come up with an idea that she hopes will greatly improve the boys’ high school basketball games at Cleveland, something that she calls the C-Squad.

“The C-Squad (Cleveland’s Squad) is the name I’m looking to give our fans’ cheering section…this squad of fans should be responsible keeping the energy high at all times and be full of school spirit and enthusiasm,” Foster explained.

She credits a few things to her creation of the C-Squad. The idea originally came from her alma mater, Thunderbird High School, in Phoenix, Arizona, where there was a huge fan base at their games.

“Our student body section was called the T-Squad. There were games that we were down in, but because our classmates believed in us and had so much fun just being fans, we utilized them in those situations. Their energy in the crowd was so intense. [It motivated them to get] back into games we were losing,” she said.

Foster hopes the C-Squad can recreate this type of support. She also wants to get C-Squad leaders to lead chants, cheers, and overall get the crowd more hyped up along with the cheerleaders.

Isabelle Gibson, a sophomore on the cheer team, said, “I feel like with [the C-Squad] we could get more people there and people would have more fun.”

Finally, Foster emphasized that she is really looking for people to help kickstart this. She says that it’s very important to her to have the seniors go out with a bang and be supported the way she was when she played basketball.

“We want people who want to make history, who want to support them, support us as coaches, and have fun while doing it! Help us do that!” said Foster. She urges people to get in touch with her if they are interested in helping make this year in basketball great.