“Look out for the Dirty Birds!”
It is a beautiful spring afternoon on the Rio Rico High School athletic field. A baseball player steps up to bat and “El Toro Mambo” by Banda La Jaripera blasts over the speaker. The crowd goes wild.
The one playing the music is Jesus “Jesse” Lopez, a RRHS senior and member of the Dirty Birds, a student organization that encourages Hawk Pride on the RRHS campus.
Lopez explains the scene: the player is Isaac “the Bull” Sanchez-the song is his walk up song.
When Sanchez comes up to bat, Lopez said “in the dugout-if they’re sitting down, they’re standing up-parents all cheer, and when the music comes on, it's so cool.”
The Dirty Birds not only play music to celebrate athletes but build spirit and enthusiasm at events with live stream broadcasts similar to SportsCenter or ESPN.
Dirty Birds also show up to the games to cheer on the teams.
In the fall, Lopez was “honored” when Assistant Principal Billy Hix initially approached him and asked if he wanted to be part of a student organization that encourages Hawk Pride.
He eagerly accepted.
Lopez and two of his fellow Dirty Birds, seniors Carlos De La Cruz and Dagoberto Rodriguez, not only build enthusiasm on the athletic fields but on the RRHS campus with the school announcements.
De La Cruz said he really “enjoys building Hawk Pride.”
He particularly likes getting to know the administration staff better: Principal Hector Estrada, Mr. Hix and the other Assistant Principals Dagoberto Lopez and Jorge Moreno.
Rodriguez said, “I love constantly being at the school.”
As a result of being at the games, he said that he has learned a lot more about sports.
He said, “I went to my first wrestling match and learned so much. I have always loved sports, but the fact that I was there helping and making it all possible made it so much better.”
Several sophomore Dirty Birds explained their roles in the organization and expressed their enthusiasm.
Sophia Teso particularly “loves being involved and showing school spirit.”
She really likes interviewing people, such as retired teacher Morgan Falkner who she “loved getting to know better.”
Sophia Renteria loves to show up to cheer on the teams and really likes that it is “athletes supporting athletes.”
Andrea Verdugo “thought broadcasting was pretty cool and wanted to give it a try.” It has given her confidence and developed her speaking skills.
Lopez said they call themselves Dirty Birds because they are doing the “dirty work” like mopping the court in between games, sanitizing the balls and benches.
He said, “We do the dirty work but take pride in it.”
De La Cruz said it is because they get “down and dirty” screaming and cheering for the teams.
They have very ambitious goals for the future.
They want to have student sections for every sport with students there cheering them on.
Lopez wants it to seem that “when teams play against Rio Rico, they are playing against the whole community.”
They also want to have sections for other events such as theater performances.
Eventually they would like to see all students participating as Dirty Birds.
Lopez said, “Look out for the Dirty Birds!” He can’t wait to see what they will accomplish in the future.