So here is some shocking news to start my re-cap of the year. One of the first things I did this summer was to fill out my athletic marketing schedule. I chose to work almost every event, but I also tried to pick some weekends that might allow me to go to my Lake House, or house so I could relax. The weekends I tended to choose were weekends with Women's Soccer. I figured that I would have no interest in attending women's soccer. I had never seen it, only Ryan Grace talked about it. Soccer wasn't a sport that I was all that interested in. I enjoyed watching the Men Play in 2007, just like a lot of people around campus, but I was new to the game and didn't understand too much about it. I knew I'd want to see some of Stephanie Labbe but that was about it. I entered this year scheduling to go home on weekends when there was women's soccer.
Ironic how life works. I didn't miss one of their games. I also never went home. Ryan Grace is the reason I went to women's soccer in the first place. He convinced me to watch them, so I did. I went to the Central game. I remember that much. I don't know how exactly I ended up at the Yale game. It was a Friday night and I usually go to the gym at that time but I guess I just decided to go. I made a great decision because it happened to contain one of the best moments that I have ever seen at any athletic event. But we'll get to that later. For now I want to back-track.
Back to the end of Sophomore year. Ryan Grace and I love sports, we love to talk about them too. Spring of 2008 I decided that I'd try and rank the best 100 athletes at UConn...(This will not be posted...but I still have the list) At that time I didn't know anything about women's soccer, and Ryan did. Ryan complained I had too many softball players on the list...which I did...and not enough women's soccer players. Ryan knew about Labbe, Meghan Schnur (although the list I had excluded seniors that were graduating in 2008) Brittany Taylor and Tegeler, Kacey Richards and maybe he said Elizabeth Eng. I looked at the roster and at the stats and kept coming to one name. Erin Clark. I don't remember Ryan saying much about her. Her name was vaguely familiar. I must have read about her in the Daily Campus at some point. I kept coming to her name though because she was 4th on the team in points as a freshman. She was tied for 3rd in goals 2nd on team in game tying goals...and she was just a freshman. I knew nothing about soccer so all I'd look for was goals and assists. Erin Clark lead freshman in scoring and since this list I was working on was about the future of UConn, I obviously became intrigued by her. I really had no idea who she was though. Knew the name, and that stats, but had no idea what she looked like, never had seen her play etc. So every time, maybe once a month over the summer, when I'd look at my list I'd sit and wonder where to put Erin Clark.
So as Ironic as life works, the thing that was bugging me all summer long was solved soon after arriving at school. Somehow I met up with Ryan Grace and he wanted me to go along with him to his room to show me something or talk about sports. Not exactly sure why. Anyway the women's soccer team came back too and were headed to their dorm, the same dorm that Ryan lives in. Once Becky Gundling showed up Ryan decided to be kind enough to talk to her and have me follow along awkwardly. I think it was Becky, Sarah Stanczyk and Courtney Wilkinson Maitland all going up the stairs. I was following them and Ryan was talking to them. Me being there was beyond awkward. At about 3 different times I was ready to turn around and walk away because I saw no need to continue to follow Ryan talking with women's soccer players. I thought I was so useless and un-needed that when one of the players complained about carrying their bags, I said I'd carry it. I don't think she heard me though. Finally the players went their separate ways and I once again felt useful and a part of Ryan's conversation. Right as we are about to enter his dorm, Ryan stops and talks to another girl. She was wearing Women's Soccer gear and she asked Ryan if he was going to be at all the games again this year. Ryan said, something but I remember him saying her first name, Erin. My first thought was "this couldn't possibly be that Clark girl that scored all those goals"...she seemed too polite, too nice to be a top goal scorer on the women's soccer team. I know that all athletes have those tags on their back packs. Her's was sticking out and I read it and to my surprise it read "16 Erin Clark."
So about a week into the year, one of the things that was bothering me all summer long was solved. (Only I would possibly be bothered by such nonsense...I stay up at night when I am researching things or just in the middle of something...) I was also very much impressed by her. My stereotypical thought about the leading freshman goal scorer on a nationally ranked soccer team was a little bit different then what Erin Clark showed me. I was impressed enough with her politeness, and appreciation of Ryan Grace's support at games that I decided that I would go over and take the time to root for the women's soccer team. I had heard a year before from Aggrey that they struggled to get student fans and that they really wanted some more support so I decided that if she was any indication of what their program was like then I would go.
So I did.
So there is some Ryan Grace for you. I think you know what Women's Soccer play came next. The goal that I remember and love to talk about. The goal that really got me to come back to all their games, and ultimately enjoy soccer.
Certainly my entire year is not about Women's Soccer, but believe it or not, they actually had a bigger impact on my life than all of the other UConn teams, except women's basketball. There are some reasons for that...and student RTP is about to take over now.
Part of the reason that I have become a loyal fan of women's soccer is because I expected so little out of their games, yet I ended up really enjoying them. I didn't like soccer for the longest time. I watched them play and I was really impressed and excited. Women's soccer was supposed to be like a Super 8 motel in the middle of Kansas. It turned out to be more like the Ritz Carlton on Wakiki Beach. The fact that I expected so little to begin helps me feel blown away when I see how much I now like it.
You'll always remember and love the experiences that you anticipate will be horrible and then they really turn out to be great and so much fun.
You will always dislike the experiences and things that you anticipate will be exciting and amazing and turn out horrible. Like booking a hotel that says it's on the beach...and has great photos to back that up...only to find out it's a 3 mile walk to the beach or $10 cab ride.
On top of that one of the ways that people can become a big fan is through a player. In this case Erin Clark represented her team well when she was talking to my friend. I was impressed enough with her as a person (who was much nicer than I expected for a top goal scorer...going back to being better than expected) that I decided that I'd take my love and passion for sports and combine that to support such a seemingly nice person (who I associated with the entire team). Erin Clark gave me a good impression. That first impression didn't just extend to her, it extended to the team in general...my thinking was..."well if she's this nice then everyone else on the team must be" (On top of that O'Brian White and Akeem Priestley were two other UConn soccer players that I already knew...associating the men's team with being great athletes and people helped me think of the UConn women's team as great athletes and people)
My first impression of Erin Clark and the women's team based on her interaction with Ryan Grace swayed me into going to Morrone Stadium to watch the game and support the team. That got me on "The escalator of commitment"
Cory Bildstein's kick cemented an amazing memory of women's soccer in my mind. I was there, I was a part of that moment in history. That's nostalgia, a great memory that I fondly look back on. That moved me way up the escalator of commitment. From a light user of the product (women's soccer games) to a moderate to heavy user, and a committed, and identified fan.
Add to that a rivalry. As a big fan I wanted to see us win. St. John's came in to UConn on Senior day and had some disrespectful student fans. They also had some poor sports on their team and coaching staff who apparently encouraged their players to "go get them in the second half" One of their players kicked a UConn player lying on the ground in the head. This angered me and created a rivalry in my head. This helped strengthen my fan-hood for UConn Women's Soccer because I had a rival, a game that I must see, a team that I want us to absolutely cream every-time we play. A game that I get really excited for. This game brought me up to even higher levels of commitment on the "escalator model."
The escalator model is something you can learn from Dr. Fink's Sports Marketing class.
If you combine all of those things for yourself, you'd end up being a big fan of women's soccer too.
You also got a look inside my head and how I think. If your interested in sports you also get to see how such little things can get a person to become a fan. Remember this all started because I happened to observe an athlete being nice to a friend of mine. It's also a mini-lesson in marketing.
I might have to break this up a little. I go from talking about my year to explaining how I became a Women's Soccer fan. It's late now, and I am not saving anything else to my laptop because I am sending this laptop back to the school of business.
No comments:
Post a Comment