Although we are a family in the Bears’ Den, we are also a family outside of the Den. During games, our student section comes together as one, as we cheer on the team.
The rush from the intensity of the game is insane. With each point scored the crowd goes wild and all you see are smiles and laughing and a bunch of kids coming out to support their school.
But, it doesn’t stop there. In between games, we think of ways to bring more students in to the games. From themes, t-shirts, face paint, and props, the Bear’s Den does it all. Most games this year have had a theme and each time the Den holds more and more students.
One of the most successful themes this year has been the white-out, or the alumni night. North hosted the Roosevelt Rough Riders. It was one of the biggest games of the season.
The student section gradually filled up as more and more students accumulated. As the student section filled, the bleachers on the second level filled as well. Eventually, there were people rooting for North on the visitors side as there was no more room on the “Home” side.
The boys played hard and even though they didn’t take home the win, the student section was there to cheer them on the entire game up until the last buzzer sounded.
Many of the themes are very successful, though notall of them turn out as well as hoped. One of the themes that was less successful was held at Urbandale. The theme was a black-out and the student section held less students than normal.

The boys took home the win but the Bears’ Den wasn’t as strong as the usual crowded, shoulder to shoulder bleachers. On a normal night, the stands are alive, ready to scream until they cant anymore and huddled close to one another in order to make room for more students.
Students willingly give up their Friday nights to come out and nearly lose their voices for the games. Waking up the next morning with a sore throat doesn’t phase our Polar Bears. We continue to take home the win and end the night with smiles.
Regardless of the location, we show up. We take the spirit wherever we go, because in the eyes of our Polar Bears, it’s never JUST a game. It’s a life…a road to success, that all of us together as one travel. A family. We remain a family, inside the Den, and outside.