GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) welcomes all member schools to participate in the 2020-2021 Sunshine State Spirit Competition. Entries will begin November 11^th, 2020 and deadline to submit will be February 1^st, 2021.

The Sunshine State Spirit Showdown is a competition designed to promote good sportsmanship and school spirit. It was created in 2013, with the idea of the school community to come as one to create something exciting and unique.

The criteria for submissions have changed slightly this year due to COVID-19 protocols that some schools are following.  There will be two separate category winners this year to accommodate game attendance limitations, restrictions on crowds and gatherings, physical and distance learning, etc.  The first category will be for schools who have no restrictions or changes due to COVID-19.  These are schools that still allow full game attendance, student sections, pep rallies, etc.  The second category will be for schools who have had to alter their typical protocols. These are schools that have limitations on game attendance and may not have student sections at all, do not allow pep rallies or large gatherings, have students who are distance learning and unable to physically be in attendance. 

Schools must submit a video that is 90-seconds to 3-minutes in length. The video must contain a 30-second part on boosting school moral in creative ways and encouraging positivity and strength through these difficult times; content must be appropriate; and uploaded onto FHSAA’s YouTube Channel.

Judging will come from FHSAA’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and social media fan voting. The videos will be ranked based on the following categories: positive emphasis, spirit, originality, creativity and organization, and student body and community participation while still focusing on safety.

The winners of each category will be announced on March 9, 2021.  A plaque and banner will be presented to each winning school.

Past winners of the contest include Clay High School (Green Cove Springs), Fort Walton Beach, River Ridge (New Port Rickey), Choctawhatchee (Fort Walton Beach), Lake Howell (Winter Park), and Atlantic Coast. All member schools have the opportunity to showcase videography and creativity when submitting a video.

For more information about the Sunshine State Spirit Showdown and instructions on how to submit a video, visit the Sunshine Spirit Showdown information page.

For addditional updates, follow @FHSAA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. Use #FLSquad, the official hashtag for the Sunshine State Spirit Showdown, to join the conversation.

About the FHSAA
The Florida High School Athletic Association supervises and regulates interscholastic athletic programs for high school students at member public, private and charter schools. The organization also recognizes and honors academic achievement among student-athletes at almost 800 middle, junior and senior high schools statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, it is the official governing body for interscholastic athletics in Florida

About the SAAC
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will provide a voice in the FHSAA governance structure to the Association’s largest constituency – the more than 240,000 participating student-athletes. The committee will focus on the following areas: current issues facing student-athletes, input regarding rules and regulations, input on FHSAA special initiatives (e.g., sportsmanship program), and promoting a positive image of the student-athlete.