We love catchy lists at the beginning of the year to be healthier, wealthier, smarter, and groovier. What’s better than 12 ways to support Louisville City in 2020? Here we go!
1. Join a Supporter’s Group. Join a group, any group; onethat fits your style. And if you can’t find one that fits, start a new one. All you really need is some creativity, a twitter handle, and yourself (maybe some friends, but that’s optional). The early days of the small groups forming has waned, which is too bad. We need a flavor injection with more variation and more downright crazy. Yes, the Coopers are important, they’re the only group that provides the structure and financial support for the supporters’ section during game day (specifically, smokebombs, music, and TIFO’s) and the Coopers are always looking for people to participate on their committees and in their democratic process. If that’s not your thing, be something else…whatever it is, it’s cool.
2. Help organize tifo creation. TIfos are hard. At the new stadium, they will be harder. They will have to be bigger, better engineered, and will take more time and planning. We need great designs, money for supplies, people to sew fabric together, people to map out the designs, people to paint… The most the critical thing about making tifos is finding the space to make them in. The Coopers are spearheading this – reach out if you want to participate or do it with someone else…it’s all good.
3. Create a song/chant (that sticks). What I didn’t say was write a song or chant. After five years of being a Capo with the Coopers, I’ve learned that creating a song that sticks is much different than just writing a song. It takes individual tenacity to make it happen. If you want to put your mark on the history of the club, there’s no better way than to create a song. Don’t depend on the Capos to do it for you! You don’t even have to be musically gifted (I’m living proof of that)! Creating a song or chant (most of the time, anyway) is a five-step process:
Step #1: Write some catchy lyrics, not too long, a few lines at most. It helps a lot if it’s based on an existing and popular melody.
Step #2: Share it with the friends around you in the stadium so they know it and can sing it after a “couple” of beers.
Step #3: Write it on small pieces of paper such as 3 X 5 cards, or whatever, to pass to your neighbors in the stadium who might not know the words.
Step #4: Sing it over and over at your pre-game (such as a tailgate or pub), when you walk (or march) to the match, and at the match when there is no other song being sung. It will hopefully then catch on through repetition and familiarity.
Step #5: Once you do steps #1-4, then, and only if you want, share it with the Capos and Groove Machine. At that point, it will be tried and tested, some people will already know it, and it will be realistic to get the 1000+ in the supporter’s section singing in one voice.
Note: Due to pending retirements, we will also need new Capos – do you have what it takes?
4. Make a banner. I think there is no better visual that represents the passion for our team than a stadium full of creative handmade banners and flags (See also #5 below). Due to club rules, they might only be allowed at the ends of the stadium; but nonetheless, the more banners the better! And as long as they pass muster with our club-minders, let your creative juices flow…just don’t pee on them (the banners not the minders – pee on the minders at your own risk).
Also, [stepping up on soapbox], think about what your banner (or flag) symbolizes. Just because it is not offensive to you and you think it should not be offensive to anyone else – doesn’t mean it’s perfect. If you know someone is offended, whether you know them or not and whether you think they should be or not, is it ok to use? We’re all one big dysfunctional purple family and everyone (soccer fan or not) can see your banner or flag. It’s easier to not do something to play well with others than it is to justify your actions after the fact.
5. Wave a flag. Paired with banners, flags (and two-poles) are some of the best ways to represent who we are. Flags are versatile. You can hang them at your pre-game activities (pub, tailgate, etc.), carry them when you walk (or march) to the stadium, wave them in the stadium at the beginning of the match, and wave them during goal celebrations (which looks fantastic paired with the smoke). And we haven’t done this yet, but it sure would be cool to have you wave them when they have been designated for specific songs. To be courteous to those around you, it’s best not to wave them during live play and think about what it represents.
6. March to the match. In our first year, our marches were strong with large numbers of people. Since then, and for a variety of reasons (other SGs, other pre-game activities, feelings getting hurt and something about haircuts), the march to the match has dwindled. It’s simple, march from where you pre-game with who you pre-game with. Sing songs, wave flags, carry banners, beat drums, play instruments, and make a racket. A hundred little marches descending on the stadium will be quite the sight to see. If you want a big one, join the Coopers on the March, any and all individuals and groups are welcome.
7. Create and support fan-generated content. Let’s be honest, the traditional media have not done enough to support and generate quality content about the club. But it doesn’t matter, one day the traditional media is going to wake up one morning and find themselves irrelevant (in some ways they already are). What has been fantastic this past five years is the fan generated content of multiple blogs, podcasts, vodcasts, and a voracious amount of social media. Whether you agree with the content or not, try to follow, like, heart, mention, comment, and rebroadcast in your own communication spheres. If you have something to say, pick a medium and say it. The more we do this, the more others will take notice….and the better-quality content will follow. The fans built this club and we know what we want.
8. Click, like, rebroadcast, and follow Louisville City FC media mentions. We know there’s not enough media mentions, but when you see one then click and comment on it (especially if it’s not very good…be sure to let them know). I scan the Courier Journal every day (don’t ask me why I put myself through that pain) and every day I click on the Louisville City FC link. I usually get an “Oops – the page you are looking for isn’t here;” but one day, I swear, there will be something there and it will be good. The traditional media counts clicks, impressions, and other types of online analytics. Yes, the content sometimes sucks. But the only way to get them to improve is to generate interest and tell them what you want (since theyare obviously not mind readers). It’s free for the most part and doesn’t take a lot of effort.
9. Support a charity event. Nothing drives better impressions than good will. More importantly, it’s the right thing to do for our community. We supporters, through the work of The Louisville Ladies and the Coopers Angels Share program, generated nearly $10,000 for local charities last year. Let’s share our good fortune with those who need it more than we do.
10. Buy season tickets. I heard a rumor that 80% of the club’s revenue from the last five years came from ticket sales. I base this off zero knowledge of club operations and zero facts, but that’s ok right? Potentially, most club revenue will come from ticket sales in the near future. If we want a sustainable club, with enough money in their coffers to buy talent and build all those other things to create a soccer dynasty, we need to buy tickets. Season tickets are the best way to go and props to the club for working very hard to keep supporters section ticket prices low. I’m not suggesting we do this to make the owners rich, most of them already are. I think at this early stage in the club’s history, the owners are smart enough to reinvest any profit into the club to make themselves even richer in the future. If you can’t go to every game, sell your tickets online to someone else (it’s like super easy, even I can do it).
11. Make new friends. The club is about community. I have made countless new and close friends in the past six years that I never would have if not for this club. It’s also important to note, just because someone is different from you (ideologically, politically, or fashionably), it doesn’t mean you can’t have a meaningful relationship with them.
12. Have fun. Not too much fun to get an inside look at the Louisville Corrections facility downtown. You pay for this chance to cheer for our team, and you should have the time of your life…even if we lose. If we’re not having fun, why would we do it?
So, there it is, 12 things you can do. Hell, do this stuff and you might even make a Top 10 list at the end of 2020 but only if you’re super popular on Twitter (kidding, I’m just kidding). There are others just as important that I may have missed andwould love to hear from you. Don’t agree with the above? – let me know as well. It’s all good.
Written by:
Ken Luther
Louisville Cooper. Capo at night. Strategy, Leadership and Performance Improvement Consultant by day. Retired Army Colonel. Striving to make this a better world for all.
Find me on Twitter for my latest rants and raves @Col_Ken_Luther
