2022 Opening Day Hype

            A star.

            When we were children, we worked hard in school and followed the rules.  The grades didn’t matter, but seeing that star-shaped sticker at the top of the page was the validation we needed to show our friends and family that we were succeeding.  It boosted our self-esteem, kept us motivated, and it was a visible sign that we were on the right path.

            A trophy.

            In that same time period of our lives, we were given trophies for our achievements.  We played sports, we won awards through clubs, and earned badges in other involvements, but the awards grew in size and significance.  The gold stars on our schoolwork turned into tangible objects that would sit on shelves in our rooms – a constant reminder that we are worthy and capable of excellence.

            It should come as no surprise that as we grew older, the number of awards we received decreased.  The stakes grew higher, the competition was tougher, and participation alone wasn’t enough to fetch commendations.  We had to work harder, push the boundaries of what we thought was possible, and devote more time and effort to what made us feel impassioned.  We learned more about ourselves, learned more about the world, and started finding like-minded communities to foster that growth.  We learned to encourage others in their pursuits for greatness.  Even if we weren’t in the limelight, we still doled out that motivation to others, knowing we would be on the receiving end someday, as well.  Our investments in the greatness achieved by others took on a new level of meaning because we saw it grow into what it became.  This should be no different on a day like today – the opening day of the 2022 USL League One regular season.

            Today marks the beginning of a new season: one full of new beginnings, hopes, and goals (literally or otherwise).  No club in the league is the exact same as last season.  Each club faces their own challenges and will meet many more before the season ends, but what each club can count on is the fans.

We are the people who take time out of our busy lives to show up at the stadium for home matches, tune into the broadcasts for away matches, buy merchandise, and cheer for the club.  We revel in prosperity and wallow in the tribulations, bending but never breaking in our support of the club.  It should come as no surprise that we make friends around the club and build communities, further entrenching our devotion to the club.  And while we have our reasons for supporting the club off of the field, what about the on-the-field reasons?  Success?  Sure, but that seems too generic.  Greatness?  We’re getting closer, but it still doesn’t seem fitting.  How about something you can touch and feel?

            A trophy.

            If you haven’t had the chance to hold the USL League One trophy, you’re in for a treat.  It’s big and it’s heavy, more so than you would expect.  In each appearance this trophy made at Union Omaha functions during the offseason, it was always buffed to perfection, reflecting light and even seemingly emitting light.  It’s presence in the room is heavier than its actual weight.  The trophy attracts you to it, almost baiting you to hoist it above your head in relived triumph.  And while we, the fans, didn’t play a single minute during the 2021 season, we were afforded the opportunity to watch something special.  Through good times and bad, we saw the team grow and develop into something that was able to reach the finish line stronger than ever.  That’s the special part about following a club.  You never know what’s going to happen.  And how can fans continue to recognize that achievement after the championship is won?

            A star.

            After the 2021 USL League One Championship, I remember having a gold star-shaped sticker stuck to the hoodie I was wearing (thank you, Hunter), conveniently placed directly above the club’s crest.  I’ve worn that hoodie several times since the Championship, but the star had already fallen off, likely during the post-match celebrations.

Just like any championship-winning professional soccer club around the world, that star will be forever etched above the crest.  It’s not going to fall off in post-match celebrations or cycles of laundry.  That star, along with every stitch used to sew it into the fabric of the clothing, is filled with the history and reminders of the proud achievement we were lucky enough to see unfold before our eyes in 2021.  And while the lines of thread display outwardly in perfect, straight lines, the fabric on the inside is twisted and slightly disheveled, like the plenty of plot twists thrown at the club throughout the season.  Future fans will do a quick Google search to see that Union Omaha won in 2021, but won’t know the entire story.  Not even current fans know the entire story, but we can look at the inside threads and fully recognize all that the club had to deal with: the injuries, the losses, the draws, and the sacrifices put forth by those within the club, on and off the field, front office or otherwise.  They went through a lot…and they won.

Today is the start of a new season.  Bring your friends, wear the colors, and proudly display the star, but let your vocal support be even louder.  Union Omaha has a difficult journey ahead of them.  Defending a championship is not an easy task, but with the rows upon rows of fans that continuously file into Werner Park each week, the Owls stand a better chance.  Come early for the tailgate, make even more friends, learn the chants, and stay after for a small celebration, as well.  Just like the song says, “solidarity forever.”

And why do we do it?

Another trophy.

Another star.