Pit sports teams against one another in entertaining relay races. Perhaps the girls' team could compete against the boys' team, or the junior varsity team could race against the varsity team. The teachers could also compete against the sports team. Have the teams balance a basketball or volleyball on a plastic traffic-like cone and cross the entire length of the gym and back before passing it to the next person. Or provide a cheerleading uniform for the boys and a sports uniform for the girls. Then, challenge the first player from each team to put the uniform on over their clothes, run to the end of the gym and back, take the uniform off and hand it to the next person who repeats the sequence.
Have the cheerleaders line up on one side of the gym and the football, basketball or soccer team line up on the other side. Give them a long rope and have them play tug-of-war. Repeat the activity with the varsity team competing against the junior varsity team or the star player competing by himself against the rest of the team. You might also have a pie-eating contest, pitting the players against the coaches. Three-legged races, sack hops and crab walking are additional games that players, cheerleaders, coaches and teachers can play against each other.
Hold competitions between members of the same team or among the cheerleaders. For example, before the pep rally, write team slogans, such as "Go, Fight, Win" on poster board, cut them apart in puzzle-shaped pieces and put rolled up pieces of masking tape on the back of each piece. Give one unassembled puzzle to each player to put together, but the trick is that they have to tape the puzzle to the wall as they go so the audience can see them. The first player to finish his puzzle is the winner. Other amusing games to include are free throw contests where players are blindfolded or soccer dribbling contests with players' hands tied behind their backs.
Provide pencils and premade paper airplanes to students as they enter the gym for the pep rally. Ask each student to write his or her name on the paper airplane and hold onto it until later in the rally. At the appointed time, have all the students try to throw their paper airplanes into a trashcan placed in the middle of the gym floor. The winners are those that get their planes into the trashcan. Another idea would require you to collect several hundred small craft pom-poms before the pep rally. Tell the students that these are called spirit critters, and throw them to students who are cheering the loudest and participating most in the rally. At the end of the pep rally, have the students count their spirit critters, and the person with the most earns the title of "Most Supportive Student."