One sign of the importance of sports is the importance of Homecoming. Homecoming marks the week when a team plays its first game at its own school, as opposed to traveling to other schools. There are two Homecomings, one for basketball and one for football.
While the Homecoming game is a major event, it's also only a small part of the whole experience. Each Homecoming lasts for a full week.
The week leading up to the game is known as "Spirit Week" and includes a range of events. Each day is themed and students are encouraged to dress in a certain way, with everyone wearing the school colors on Friday.
On the Friday of the game, classes end early for a parade and a pep rally - basically a schoolwide party celebrating the upcoming game. The Homecoming rally is a highly elaborate, formalized event for which each grade elects Homecoming royalty to represent them in front of the school. Royalty from past years are also invited to participate.
Homecoming also includes speeches from the team leaders and coaches, but surprisingly little of the event directly relates to sports. Much of the rally is dedicated to student performances. These can be performances by official clubs such as the cheer squad and glee club, but they may also include songs by soloists and bands. In a small town, the rally is far and away the biggest local event for such acts.
Some years, unexpected faces show up among the performers.
The Saturday after Homecoming is the Homecoming dance, an informal social event. The dances are usually only open to current students, though many schools allow non-students to attend with a student date.
Students are encouraged to bring dates to the dance, and it can be an easy entry into dating. However, many students attend alone and must find their own opportunities to socialize.
There's so much more to say about Homecoming, but for brevity's sake we'll stop here.