On Friday, Aug. 26, fans crowded the entrance gates at Mission Viejo High School’s football field several hours before the Eagles faced the Diablos. As our varsity football team geared up to play, our Eagle’s Nest flocked together to bring its full support to our team.

We hear about how the team prepares for Friday Night Lights with morning conditioning, lunch-time meetings, afternoon practices, etc. — but have we ever thought about how the Eagle’s Nest prepares to support our team?

Through social media we find out the theme of each Friday night game. Through friends we coordinate what to wear and where to get ready for that game. Through peers we plan what time to arrive in order to get the best spot in the student section. Through one nest we support our team with cheers, chants, presence and prayer.

A pope, a nun, a drummer and a spirit stick holder stand front and center at the Mission game. Devoted students give up their spots in the bleachers to stand below the Nest in order to lead the cheers and chants. Each individual plays a pivotal role in making up the Eagle’s Nest, and will continue to play a pivotal role throughout the entire school year.

We all play an important role when it comes to bringing the Nest together –whether that role is a student in a costume, a student with a musical instrument, or a student willing to stand two to three hours while watching our football team. There is something powerful about a group of diverse high school students coming together for one common purpose: to support our team.

It is for those two to three hours we sacrifice every Friday night that our high school worries subside. The only thing that matters when you’re sitting in that Nest is that you are the same fan as the person sitting to your left and right. As the Nest unites, it is the shared hope of a win that strengthens the bonds of the student section. Face paint is passed around, pictures are taken and shared, GoPro videos are posted and friends are made.

It is within the Nest that we are one. We are not the sport we play, the friends we hang out with, the car we drive, the awards we’ve won. Instead, we are the Nest. It is the power of the people willing to set aside their differences that make the Nest, the Nest.