120+ Creative Student Section Themes to Make Games More Fun

Special events for school and/or sports can be even more fun when your section dresses up according to a particular theme. If your group can’t decide on what theme to use, keep scrolling for over 125 cool student section themes to inspire your team spirit. We’ve included the best and most unique themes around, including ones ideal for high school, as well as themes for football, basketball, baseball, and volleyball games. Plus, get tips on planning your theme so everyone has a great time.

Student Section Themes & Ideas

An illustration depicting different student section themes for high school events and sports games.

Glow sticks
Pajamas
Pirates
Glitter & gold
Mask off
Superheroes
Crazy hair

Section 1 of 8:

Best Student Section Themes

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Go for a total blackout when everyone in your section dresses in black. You’ll be sure to intimidate the other team if attending a game.
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Glow sticks Lighten up by giving everyone colorful glow sticks to really stand out. Buy them in bulk so everyone gets a few to wave around anytime your team scores.

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Red crowd It’s easy to all dress in red, especially if your team colors include red. It’s one of the most vibrant colors you can wear to attract everyone’s attention, especially if it’s near Valentine’s Day.
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Tie dye Break out your favorite tie dye gear, from t-shirts and hats to dresses or shoes. You can tie-dye your own clothing, too, for a fun project to do as a group beforehand.
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Rave Dress like you’re headed to a 90s rave, with mismatched patterns, lots of colors (especially in your hair), and the craziest shoes you can find. Make sure to dance with plenty of energy during the event.
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Pajamas Turn your school section into a pajama party to remember. Wear PJs, slippers, nightgowns, or just loose-fitting sweats. You can even wear eye masks around your heads so everyone knows you just woke up.^{[1]
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Superhero Dress as your favorite superhero so you can muster all the strength you need to win. Include classics like Superman or Batman, along with newer characters, like Loki or Iron Man.
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Mask off For this fun theme, everyone starts by wearing a mask. At some point during the event or game, drop your masks in unison so everyone can see who you are!
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Dress from the 70s Get out your bell bottoms, platform shoes, and disco wear for a 70s revival party in your section. Or, dress like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever to combine your 70s look with disco.
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Pirates Even if your team isn’t called the Pirates, it’s super fun to dress like one. Wear pirate hats, eye patches, and get yourselves stuffed parrots to wear on your shoulder. Make sure to yell “Arrrggghhhh” a lot!
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Party poppers Party poppers are a fun and easy way to fill your section with colorful confetti. Just ensure the event is held outdoors and that you’ve cleared it with your school beforehand.
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Business Look professional in suits, ties, and formal business dress. Or, throw a blazer or tie over your own clothing. Just because you dress like a business person doesn’t mean you have to act like one.
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Formal Dress your best in gowns and formal wear, as if you’re heading to the prom. Add a sophisticated touch with tiaras or walking sticks.
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Doctors and nurses Get out your stethoscopes and white shoes to look like a section of doctors and nurses. If you’re at a sports event, the other team might need some medical help after your team is victorious.
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College t-shirt Wear your favorite college t-shirt or sweatshirt throughout your section. It doesn’t even have to be a school you attend or plan to go to. Borrow shirts from friends for a more random selection.
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Glitter & Gold It doesn’t have to be New Year's to celebrate with glitter and gold. Deck yourselves out in shiny gold clothing and accessories, and make glittery signs to show your support.
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Safari Make everyone look like they’re headed on safari by wearing tan and beige. Don’t forget boots, your safari hat, and a pair of binoculars.^{[2]
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Section 2 of 8:

Student Section Themes For High School

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Look adorable by having everyone wear the brightest colors they can. If it’s the middle of winter, your beautiful section will make everyone want to cheer.
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Orange construction outfits Make others think that your section is there to do major construction by dressing up in orange construction outfits. Your section’s construction project will be complete once everyone shows up.
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White out Blind everyone with light when you all decide to wear white. Dress from head to toe, so your section, aka white party, really looks its brightest.
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Hippies Do your best to look like 1960s hippies, with wigs, sunglasses, and beads. Your section can dance in unison whenever your team wins big.
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Disney characters Choose your favorite Disney character to show up as for your event. With a section full of Snow Whites, Cinderellas, Elsas, and Ariels, the other team doesn’t stand a chance.
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Sweatpants One of the easiest student section themes to pull off in high school is the sweatpants look. Whether you wear matching color sweats or all look different, you’ll be the most relaxed around.
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Halloween night Pretend it’s Halloween and come as the scariest section around, with zombies, vampires, and ghosts. All your spooky characters have one thing in common—school spirit!
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Neon You can easily customize a neon theme any way you like. Wear neon clothes, bring neon accessories, or paint your face neon for a night event you’ll never forget.
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Dress from the 90s Pretend you’re a 90s kid for a throwback to make everyone smile. Vary your looks with a crop top/cargo pants style or camo. There will be many jumpsuits and miniskirts for all.
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Rainy day No matter what the weather is, pretend it’s a rainy day. Wear raincoats, rainboots, and carry umbrellas to prove that you’re raining down victory over the other team.
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Animals Decide which animal suits you best and dress up as them for your school event. With a section full of cats, dogs, lions, and chickens, it’s sure to be a wild time.
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All one color Choose one unique color for everyone to wear. It might be the color of your school or sports team, or just a random color, like lime green or hot pink.^{[3]
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Mustaches Give everyone a fake mustache so the other sections look at you twice. Your mustaches can all match up or each one can differ a bit, from handlebar to one that twirls up.
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Twins Set of 2 people within the section can wear costumes or looks that pair them together. Make sure you have plenty of sets of twins to team up in the name of school spirit.
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Rockstars Dress and act like your favorite rockstar, whether current or retro. You can fill your section with Taylor Swift, Freddie Mercury, and Britney Spears in no time.
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Crazy hair Focus your school section theme on making everyone’s hair as wacky as possible. Tease it, comb it, wear wigs, or just add color to it so the overall look is unique and festive.
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Polka dot An easy option is to have the entire section wear polka dot everything. You can even paint polka dots on your faces to go the extra mile.
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Goofy socks You might look normal on the surface, but giving everyone kooky socks is an understated move for a school section at an event. They can also share a theme like pizza, tacos, or cats.^{[4]
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Section 3 of 8:

Unique & Creative Student Section Themes

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Pretend you’re all hitting the gym in the 80s! This means lots of aerobic workout wear, headbands, and leg warmers. The guys can dress in baggy shorts and tank tops (but still have headbands).
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Pink out Everyone wearing pink is a fun way to stand out at a school event. It’s also a nice choice if your section is honoring Breast Cancer Awareness month.
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Senior citizens Replace yourselves with your grandparents and make everyone chuckle. Put on grey wigs, glasses, and house dresses. Wear slippers and carry your knitting for an extra touch.
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Prohibition Turn back the clock to the original party people of the 1920s. Girls can dress like flappers while the guys can look snappy in baggy suits.
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Fancy hats For this theme, you’d dress normally except that you’d add a fancy hat to your repertoire. It could be anything, from a tiny hat with a feather to a captain’s hat.
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Hawaiian luau If your budget allows for it, get your section a bunch of grass skirts for your luau-style celebration. At the very least, you can all wear Hawaiian leis to show your spirit.
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Dress like a baby Wear a big costume “diaper” over your clothes and a baby bonnet. Get some pacifiers so everyone can act like a baby on purpose.
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Jailbirds Look like you just escaped from jail with black and white jumpsuits. It’s also possible to wear white and add black tape to your clothing for an easier option.^{[5]
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Gangsters Dress in pinstripe suits and hats to look like classic gangsters. It might just intimidate the other team, so you end up victorious.
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Ugly sweater Even if it’s not Christmas, don your best ugly sweater for a cold-weather school event outdoors. From Santa and elves to reindeer, you’ve got lots of Christmas themes to choose from.
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Dress like Dad Do your best impression of your dad, from his eyeglasses and slippers to his socks that he pulls up too high. Throw on a fanny pack and you’ve just achieved “dad on vacation.”
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Y2K Get that early 2000s look with flared or low-rise jeans, velour tracksuits, chokers, and butterfly clips. Lucky for you, your time won’t run out at midnight!
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Tourist for a day Look like tourists with tacky outdoorsy wear, clunky sneakers, and hats. Wear a fanny pack and carry a map, camera, or a set of binoculars.
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Workout wear Get your sweat on by pretending you’re at the gym together. Wear your slickest workout gear, whether your thing is yoga, sports, or running.
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Candy cane A candy cane theme is a great idea for winter sporting events. Just wear red and white everything and hold candy canes to send the message home.
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Bikers Toughen up with leather jackets, chains, and combat boots for your biker look to be complete. Hopefully, you’ll scare the other team into submission.
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Fashion disaster This one is fun—just wear anything you’ve got in your closet the wrong way. Pair hiking boots with a fancy dress or wear a blazer on top of overalls to confuse everyone.^{[6]
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Section 4 of 8:

Football Student Section Themes

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Go for the classic frat party favorite with your own private toga party in your section. It’s easy to make a DIY toga by wrapping sheets around yourself and wearing a crown of leaves to look like a Roman party animal.
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USA theme Let everyone know how patriotic this football game just got. Wear your red, white, and blue clothing, while carrying American flags like they’re going out of style.
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Camo Toughen up by dressing in camo gear from head to toe. All your friends can share the same camo look, or go for something unique like pink or purple camo.
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Construction workers Start with an orange t-shirt and add accessories to become construction workers. Hard hats and glow-in-the-dark vests will have them convinced.
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Dress from the 80s Turn any football game into an 80s party with off-the-shoulder shirts, parachute pants, and 80s hair. Leg warmers and Members Only jackets will also look great (and keep you warm during the game).
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School mascots You’ll have more school spirit than most if you all dress up like your team’s mascot. Whether they’re a rhino, panther, or charger, you’ll all honor your mascot together.^{[7]
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Christmassy Celebrate the season with red and green clothing, warm holiday sweaters, and Santa hats. Try wearing reindeer antlers too to make some sound effects during the game.
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Grunge Channel 90s music with flannel shirts and ripped jeans. Don’t worry about your hair, and, since many football games are cold, layer up in more than 1 flannel!
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Country western What could be more Americana than football and country/western music? Wear cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and flannel shirts tied at the waist.
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Sports jerseys Have your own private “battle of the sports jerseys” in your section. Everyone can wear a unique sports jersey, or you can all wear the same one to support the team.
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Fake an injury For a more humorous student section theme, add some pretend injuries, like a bandage on your head, a fake sling, or walk with a crutch (even though you don’t need to).
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Military Choose your military team: Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines. Get some official costumes, or make it easy by just wearing the right hats. For the Air Force, it’s even simpler to wear flight or bomber jackets and aviator sunglasses.
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TP (toilet paper) Instead of TPing a house, TP yourselves! Wrap loads of toilet paper around yourselves and in your section to make a hilarious statement. Just be sure to clean up after yourselves when the game is over.
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Caveman Carry a club and wear a pelt of fur like a real caveman and cavewoman might. Your football chants and cheers can match your style, along with an official caveman dance.
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Monsters Decide who your favorite monster is and dress like them. A bunch of different monsters look extra scary, while a section of Frankenstein's is also intimidating.
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Lumberjacks Another reason to wear your flannel is to become a bunch of lumberjacks. Pretend to “chop down” the other team’s hopes for victory.
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Truckers All you need to show up as truckers are a bunch of cool trucker hats, puffy vests, and a to-go coffee cup. Drive the other team off the field with your enthusiasm.
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Wedding It’d be really off-putting to see a section of fans dressed up like they’re at a wedding. You can wear formal clothes, or pair everyone off as a bride and groom.^{[8]
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Section 5 of 8:

Basketball Student Section Themes

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See into the future with sci-fi-inspired clothes. Galaxy themes mean you can dress in a spacesuit, like a planet, or even as an alien.
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2000s jumpsuit Get a bunch of jumpsuits so you look like you’re the hippest people that time-traveled from the 2000s. When everyone looks the same, it makes a visual statement for your section.^{[9]
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Plaid Wearing plaid is a vibrant way to stand out at a basketball game. Your colors don’t have to match, as long as plaid is the focus of your clothing and accessories.
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Capes You don’t have to be a superhero to wear capes. Show the other team all the superpowers you’ve got in store.
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Clowns It might feel scary to the opposing team’s fans, but dressing as clowns is a colorful way to make yourselves seen. White face makeup, big shoes, and a red nose are good ways to start.
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Royalty Pretend you’re members of the royal family with formal wear, crowns, and sashes. Act, speak, and chant like you’re kings and queens, too, for a bonus.
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Movie stars Pick your favorite iconic movie stars and show up to the game as them. Whether they’re action heroes, starlets, or vintage stars, you’ll show the other team what star power really means.
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Millionaire Dressing as a millionaire isn’t as hard as it sounds. You can pile on jewelry, wear fancy (but tacky) clothes, and bring lots of fake money.
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Spies Make your team’s playbook a matter of national security. Dress up as spies with dark shades, hats, and trench coats. Whisper trade secrets to each other during the game.
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Tacky ties An easy way to dress alike is wearing tacky ties. Girls and boys can do this, no matter what outfit they’re wearing.
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Red carpet Turn your next basketball game into a red carpet extravaganza. Dress up in formal gowns and tuxes and behave like you just won an award.
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Golf Throw everyone at the game off by dressing like you meant to show up for a round of golf. Wear your golf shoes, shorts, and hats, and see if you can borrow your dad’s clubs.
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Circus Circuses have clowns, but they also have plenty of interesting characters. Some include the ringmaster, the acrobats, and the lion tamer.
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Mardi Gras Support your team wearing black, green, and purple as if you’re headed out to celebrate Mardi Gras. Wear plenty of beads that you can pass around to each other.
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Thought bubble This theme doesn’t involve dressing up as much as it does props. Make your own thought bubbles out of cardboard and white paper, and write your team slogans on them.
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Medieval Act like you’re a performer in Medieval Times with garb that looks like it’s straight from the Middle Ages. Don’t forget your feathered cap!
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Winter wonderland If you all dress as if you’re going on a ski trip together, you might confuse the other team (which is a good thing). Wear your hats, gloves, scarves, and bring some skis, sleds, or ice skates if you can!^{[10]
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Inside out day Just wear your clothes inside so everyone’s tag is showing. You can wear your shoes on the wrong foot, too.

Section 6 of 8:

Baseball Student Section Themes

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Turn your student section into a sea of blue denim with jeans, jean shirts, and jackets. Whoever wears the most denim wins!
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Fishing Bring a fishing pole and a net to let others know you’ve “gone fishing.” A hat with lures will also look festive.
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Summer camp Baseball is a summer sport, so why not dress for summer camp? Wear your khaki shorts, mosquito net hats, and boots to look the part.
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Cartoon character Decide which cartoon character from childhood you love most and become them. You can add on props and accessories that make your outfit come together.
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Duct tape This one is easy… just use colorful duct tape to decorate your clothes! You can even use it to make a sign.
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Food fight No, this theme doesn’t involve actually having a food fight. Stay out of trouble by just dressing up like your favorite food.
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Dynamic duos Pair up and dress up like a famous set of 2 people. Whether you’re Han Solo and Chewbacca, Bonnie and Clyde, or Mario and Luigi, you’ll entertain everyone at the game.
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Uniforms Different uniforms work here, but you can really make a statement if you all dress in the same uniform to show your solidarity.
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Stripes It’s super simple to wear as many stripes as you can, from your hats to your shoes. Make your signs with stripe designs, too.
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Thrift store Throw together a bunch of vintage clothes that don’t necessarily fit. Nightgowns, fake fur coats, and army gear all work.
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Ancient Egypt Dress like Egyptian queens and kings with togas, gold jewelry, or just mummies. Don’t forget your ankhs!
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Trees It’s not as complicated to dress like a tree as you might think. Just wear brown on the bottom and green on top!
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Kilts Both guys and girls can wear or make kilts to put over their clothes. It’ll definitely make for a memorable baseball game.
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TV land Think about what vintage TV characters you love, and become them for the game. The more of you that dress up like characters on one show, the better.^{[11]
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Concert t-shirt Pull out your old concert t-shirts and roar like you’re seeing your favorite act again. They don’t have to match, and it’s probably more fun if they’re all different.
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Patterns Play with patterns of all kinds in your clothes. Wear stripes, polka dots, paisley, and all sorts of loud colors.
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Childhood toy Dress like your favorite childhood toy, whether a doll, action figure, or stuffed animal. Bring the toys with you to show off.
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Teacher lookalike Impress your teachers by (kindly) dressing up like your favorite. It’s fun, and a way to honor everything they do for you.^{[12]
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Section 7 of 8:

Volleyball Student Section Themes

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Make your section into a rainbow. Arrange the colors in the right order, from red, orange, and yellow to green, blue, and purple.
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Purple Use the most royal purple color to make a visual impact at your next volleyball game. Paint your faces purple if you want to go all the way.
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Princess Everyone dresses like a princess for this theme, even the guys. It means a lot of tiaras and gauzy gowns across the board.^{[13]
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Lifeguards on duty A volleyball game is the ideal place to dress like a lifeguard, right down to the sunscreen on your nose. Hang a whistle around your neck, just in case.
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Book character Consider a favorite character from a book and come to the game as that character. It might be someone from a fairytale, Harry Potter, or a spy novel.
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Mismatch Act confused enough to wear items of clothing that don’t quite go together. A raincoat and a mini skirt or combat boots and a suit both work.
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Preppy Whether you’re in college or high school, act and dress as preppy as possible. Keep your hair neat, wear glasses, and turn up your collar to make it happen.
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Flip flops Everyone wears the same kind of flip flops to show support for their favorite volleyball team. You’ll be sure to make the other fans jealous with your comfy footwear.
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Tacky shirts Just wear the loudest, most colorful shirts you can. They’ll be ideal for outdoor games in the sun and sand.
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Mythology Come as your favorite god or goddess. With Athena, Zeus, and Loki in the crowd, your team can’t lose.
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Surfers Take on a surfer vibe with colorful shorts and shirts. Bring a surfboard or two, and include some surfer hair.
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From the future Look like you've just stepped out of the future. A lot of shiny, silver clothing should do the trick.^{[14]
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Wigs It’s super fun for everyone to wear a wig to the game. They don’t have to match in style, and can reflect each person’s unique personality.
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Olympics The entire section dresses like a kind of Olympian, whether a runner, boxer, or swimmer. You can show the other team how athletic you all are.
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Underwater Become a shark, a crab, or a mermaid to attend the volleyball game. The colorful array of sea creatures will impress everyone who sees it.
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Tank tops It isn’t difficult for the section to wear matching tank tops. You might even choose ones with your team’s mascot or logo on them.
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Sandwich board Have a selection of people in the group bring sandwich boards. Use them as signs to show your support.
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Country club Dress up like you’ve just spent the day at a country club. Lots of coiffed hair, white shoes, and a navy blazer will look super authentic.^{[15]
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Section 8 of 8:

Planning Tips for Student Section Theme Ideas

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1
Choose fun themes that are popular and relevant. If your group just saw a new superhero movie, you might decide to use it as a theme. Or, if it’s summertime and you’re at a baseball or volleyball game, a beach, ocean, or surfer theme could be relevant. If it feels like it fits, it probably will look great and is a wonderful way to have fun at school.
- Pair your student section themes and ideas with a fun team name!
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Be sure it’s appropriate for school. No matter what kind of theme you choose, check with coaches, teachers, and/or the school administration so they approve of your idea. Whether looking for spirit week ideas or themes for a sporting event, it’s important not to offend or disrespect anyone attending the event. You can have loads of fun and still be appropriate at the same time.
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Consider the effort needed (and cost, if any). Depending on whether you’re in high school or college, your group might want to think about what the theme will cost you. If it requires complete store-bought costumes to dress up, maybe go for a simpler option that’s easy to execute.
- Try making DIY costumes, props, or accessories that can look just as good.
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Involve everyone to make it a group effort. Ask the group as a whole what kind of themes they’re more interested in doing. Make sure everyone has a say and is heard by the section as a whole. Most importantly, get creative together to support your group, school, or team, and have fun!