The History
After one year of cancellation and one year of distance learning, it is once again time for the biggest, most exciting, and unique event at Mira Loma: Sports-a-Rama! SAR is a unique tradition at Mira Loma that began decades ago, and it is still going strong. It was first started at La Sierra High School, and after the school was shut down, its teachers brought it to Mira Loma, El Camino, and a few other high schools within the district.
It was run by a former teacher named Mr. Sullivan for 10 years, then Mrs. Volzer for another 5, former teacher Mrs. Pare for 1, and the current Activities Director, Mr. Posner, has continued to run the event for the past 12 years. Posner was first introduced to it while he was a student-teacher at Mira Loma High School, and has been fond of the tradition ever since.
The Purpose
While the activities have changed over time, the main purpose of SAR has remained the same: to unite students and promote good sportsmanship. Mira Loma is well-known for its academic excellence. But at times, the stressful environment can prevent camaraderie between classmates. For many, Sports-a-Rama is the perfect opportunity to spark lasting friendships, while also offering a much-needed break from their academic conquests.
In Mr. Posner’s words, “SAR is all about tradition, fun, and most importantly, sportsmanship.”
How It Works
Beginning in January of every year, Sports-A-Rama starts off with a series of preliminary events to get everyone into the spirit of things. These events include Penny Wars, Skate Night, and more. For more in-depth information about the prelims, see the section labeled “Upcoming Events.”
Once registration has closed, the class officers set up a meeting where all participants can recommend and vote on a theme for the year. Themes are traditionally movies, but can also be plays or general concepts. This theme will be incorporated into a traditional event called Statue, in which a class presents their interpretation of their theme using audio from movie scenes and building “statues” using their bodies. The theme has also influenced how a class has decorated their section in the Big Gym, including their designated two walls and bleachers.
Soon after all of these big decisions are made, practices begin. Practices start a few hours after the end of school, and students have an average of two to three practices a week. Each practice ranges from one and a half to two or so hours. The practices become longer as the big night approaches.
The actual SAR event is on an evening, usually in April. Preliminary events are significant in point value as well, but a majority of points are earned on the night of. The Mira Loma staff judges the events, assigning points to deco and statue.
There is no grand prize at the end of it all, but many would argue that the experience itself can be considered its own sort of reward. Sport-A-Rama is built around collaboration and aims to foster an environment where students feel safe to engage themselves within Mira Loma and its culture fully. Additionally, for the class that wins, there are always pride and bragging rights involved.
How to Register
If you are interested in participating, there are a few steps you must complete to register for Sports-A-Rama. First, take a look at the practice schedule of the different SAR events. Practices start on March 1st, so make sure to attend all the practices, or plan to miss no more than 20% of them (5 hours). A participant can only miss practice for illness or a Mira Loma sport/sanctioned activity. Please read the rules listed on the permission slip for specific examples.
Next, visit room C6, the student government classroom, and grab a permission slip from the label cabinet to the right of the door. Without the permission slip, you will not be able to participate in any of the games or night of events. Once you have completed the permission slip, visit C6 again and submit your slip in the drawer labeled with your class graduation year. Student Government will be extending the deadline for when paperwork is due, so make sure to keep an eye on their Instagram page, @mighty.matadors, for an update later this week.
After waiting a day or two, you can pay the $30 fee for this year in the Finance Office. This fee pays for your practice shirt and your class’s SAR shirt, both of which are required for practices and official SAR events. If it is not possible for you to pay the fee, make sure to visit Mr. Posner in C6 to discuss alternative solutions.
Theme Meetings
Make sure to attend the theme picking meetings if you want to suggest any ideas, or want to have a say in what your class will do this year. Student Government has decided to postpone these meetings as they are extending the deadline for paperwork. Only individuals who have submitted their completed paperwork can attend the meeting. Be on the lookout for more updates!
Upcoming Events
Some prelims have been announced and can be found on the picture of the calendar attached above. Here is a description of each event:
Penny Wars
This fundraiser will take place from February 14th to March 11th this year. Students donate pennies, or any type of change, to their classes so they can buy materials during the Sports-A-Rama season, or throughout the year as needed. There will be jugs labeled with all the graduation years, located in C6. This is where students can drop off their donations. Some class and ASB officers may also carry around containers for donations as well. Another rule this year will allow for sabotage. Students can stuff the jugs of other classes with dollar bills to deduct points from their total.
Skate Night
This event takes place on March 3rd from 6 pm to 9 pm at Foothill Skate Inn. Skate Night relies on numbers, specifically the number of attendees. To enter, each person has to pay $10, and they then receive a marble. They will be allowed to choose which class receives their marble, and at the end of the night, the class with the most marbles will earn the most points towards their total SAR score. Invite your family and friends to attend, and earn more points for your class!
Class Food Wars
A new event that is being introduced this year, this prelim will serve as another fundraiser for classes. Though it is subject to cancellation, it is currently planned for March 8th. Class officers will be selling food during lunch, so make sure to support your class by purchasing some food!
SAR Kickoff Rally
Rallies have been different this year, but are fun nonetheless! The Sports-A-Rama Kickoff Rally is scheduled for March 11th during lunch. Make sure to attend to see some cool performances and celebrate the return of SAR!
MATAFAN-Boys Volleyball
Another event that relies on numbers is MATAFAN! This event centers around a boy’s volleyball game on March 16, starting at 6 pm. It’s all about showing support, not only for your class but for boys’ volleyball as well! The cost of entry will be announced soon, so make sure to keep checking the Student Government Instagram in the upcoming weeks.
All in all, we are in for an eventful spring! We hope that everyone tries to participate in Sports-A-Rama this season, in one way or another. If you have any questions, feel free to message @mighty.matadors or @miralomastudgov on Instagram, and make sure to continue checking Mira Loma Today for more SAR updates!
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