When it comes to school spirit, the Schools’ “chaboi” athletic accounts are famous for keeping everyone excited and informed about upcoming games, events, and wins. However, as rivalries emerge online and posts become more creative, some teams are discovering that team pride can cross into controversy and personal attacks.
According to Brendan Blakeley, the School’s Athletic Director, the posts on the team-led accounts “need to be representative of our institution.” He emphasized that even student-run accounts are tied to the school’s reputation: “If it says Head-Royce and there’s a Jayhawk logo or reference, it’s connected to the School.”
Blakeley’s goal isn’t to limit students’ voices, but to help them understand the line between enthusiasm and disrespect. “If tennis wins 7-0, do we really need to flex around that?” he said. “We want students to be celebrated for what they can do, but how they acknowledge and celebrate is what’s most important.”
The balance was tested earlier this fall after The College Preparatory School’s (CPS) Barstool Sports account posted an edited photo that depicted a Head-Royce varsity soccer player on a leash. The image was viewed as disrespectful and morally wrong by many, including Blakeley. Claiming to “own someone, equating to beating and being better than, or putting them on a leash, isn’t okay.” He reached out to the CPS athletic director immediately, and both agreed that the post was “in very poor taste.” The post was soon deleted, and the school issued an official apology to the players affected.
Soccer captain and target of the post, Ibrahim Rashad, recalled how unexpected the situation was. “Initially, I was pretty mad because they put a face on it, and I wasn’t expecting that,” he said. While some students saw it as harmless, Rashad noted, “I can see now how an adult could view that in a different light than a kid.” Rashad later met with the other school’s coaches and Athletic Director, who apologized. “[CPS’s coaches] all thought it was a bit out of pocket,” he said.
Blakeley highlights that “rivalry, like anything in moderation, is healthy. It gets adrenaline pumping and makes games more exciting. But when it becomes personal, that’s when it’s no longer okay.” He hopes students will continue to show pride in their teams, albeit with respect. “To get respect, you have to give respect,” he said. “Support your team. Don’t put down the opponents.”
For Rashad, the experience was also a reminder of boundaries. “Rivalries on the field are one thing,” he said, “but when they carry over onto social media, that’s a whole different story.”
Due to student-athletes’ decisions being digital representations of the school, online conduct must reflect the institution’s core values, ensuring team pride never outweighs personal dignity or the school’s reputation. As schools continue to navigate the intersection of sportsmanship and social media, Blakeley hopes students take one thing away: respect online matters just as much as it does on the field.