Being one of the most anticipated sporting events in the city of Lawrence, the annual football match between the Free State Firebirds and Lawrence High’s Chesty Lions brings in a massive influx of spectators. When the matches are played at home, preparation for the big day is done months ahead of time — Leading these efforts is athletic director Jered Shaw.
After taking the position of athletic director and assistant principal in 2022, Shaw was given the task of taking charge of managing the athletic departments and overseeing logistics behind any athletic activities.
Shaw’s responsibilities on game day extend from writing scripts for the PA announcer, assigning crew members, managing concession stands, arranging special events organized by the Gridiron Club and scheduling halftime performances on the field.
The city showdown, Shaw mentions, requires even more planning than a regular season game. A majority of the planning goes towards arranging traffic and getting more police officers there to help with security.
“I’ve been working on this for quite a while just because of the overall magnitude of the game, and how many people are there, and all the different dynamics of that game,” Shaw said. “[It] just caught our grounds for a little bit of extra planning.”
One of the biggest challenges of hosting a city showdown expressed by Shaw is to keep the flow of traffic smooth and to also keep the spectators safe. Shaw collaborates with assistant principal Matthew Renk to make sure the environment allows for safe and easy access for spectators supporting their teams.
“The biggest thing is we want to put our kids in positions to be appropriate at the game that goes for both sides,” Shaw said. “Some inappropriate things can happen … So we have to make sure that we’re taking that into consideration first and foremost, just keeping kids safe.”
Student sections travel every game to support their teams. From cheering on their players to hyping up the crowd, students aim to create an electric atmosphere and resent pride in their school’s culture. However, Shaw notes that the intensity of the rivalry can sometimes lead to inappropriate behavior such as unsportsmanlike chants, calling out players and officials or even storming at the field.
“We want our student section to be as loud and positive as we possibly can and cheer for Free State. That’s where we try to point them out. If we’re not cheering against the other team, we’re cheering for Free State,” Shaw said.
Shaw is also mindful of protecting the officials who are often the target of frustration from the stands.
“Part of the whole game day atmosphere is people get angry at games because of calls,” Shaw said. “We have to make sure that our officials are safe too because they’re providing a service and we have to make sure that we don’t have people in our stands saying something to them.”
As both teams look to come off strong for the win, this will be their last game for the 2024 regular season. Behind the excitement and intensity of the city showdown lies months of preparation for students, athletes and fans to unite in celebration of their schools. For Shaw, hosting a game is more than just tradition, It’s a way of giving back to his students.
“Athletics played a large part in my success in school …. so giving kids a place where they can feel passionate about something and do something that they love and also feel connected to their school, I feel helps them,” Shaw said.
