“Where did you get those pants? I want a pair!” said a Valor fan, as he yelled from the stands at the championship game. Girls basketball has pants that are unforgettable, mimicking the great Indiana Hoosiers, Coach Croell’s favorite team. With their striped pants, the girls often get laughed at for looking like they just broke out of jail, but the meaning behind these warm-ups and their other traditions is no joke.

The girls basketball team wore these pants starting in 2007, marking the beginning of the five-peat state championship run, and the pants have not left the program since. Even though Coach Croell has decided to hang his hat and step down from his coaching position, the pants will stay, as the tradition will continue through the new season with the new head coach, Derek Seifried.

The team has had many traditions besides their trademark pants; among these old customs is the Burrito Song. This song is unnecessary, silly, and spontaneous, but it brings luck and is one of the team’s favorite rituals. Senior Brenna Fankell said, “Sometimes we forget to shut the door all the way before we start singing the song, and we get the weirdest looks from the crowd. It is never taken personally, and we always laugh about it because it will make us less stressed before the game, especially if it is a big one.”

Team bonding is also a big tradition for the girls. Before each home game they have “Pasta and Prayer” to load up on carbs and prepare for the game. During “Pasta and Prayer,” they write down their goals for the week during practice and for the game. Then, their goals are put into a hat and picked at-random by the girls. A teammate picks a card, and then forms a pair with another girl. These partners hold each other accountable during practice and during the game to finish their goals. “My favorite part of having ‘Pasta and Prayer’ with the team is of course eating, but [I also enjoy] making a closer connection with the girls and making our team stronger and closer together before each game and every week,” said junior Abby Croell.

Along with the most known tradition for the girls (striped pants), the second most known tradition for the team is the circle that is made before the start of each game. Motivational words are accompanied with the trademark phrase “Light ‘EM Up” to fire up the girls before their (soon-to-be) big win.

Senior Brenna Chase said, “Being able to be a part of this team and share all the great traditions and memories have made us closer and honestly makes our team show more pride on and off the court.” The players have made great strides to gain respect for the pants and everything that comes with them. As the girls move on to college, they never forget about what the basketball team stood for and the traditions that have made their team great.