Article posted with permission of the Author:
Jenna Pel is a soccer enthusiast based in Houston, Texas
She runs the site: All White Kit, Observing women's football around the globe
http://allwhitekit.com/
You can follow
All White Kit on Twitter @jenna_awk
In the third installment of All White Kit’s Show Your Support series, Jim Dougan introduces us to The Bravehearts, the Washington Freedom’s fanatical supporters group. Jim founded the Bravehearts with his friend and fellow DC United supporter Jared Smith after falling in love with the Freedom after a DCU doubleheader last season. He discusses just what got the whole Bravehearts idea cooking, why the SoccerPlex is an ideal place for rabid fan support and why it’s impossible to choose between Sarah Huffman and Erin McLeod.
AWK: What was the inspiration behind the Washington Bravehearts? Did you follow the Freedom in the WUSA days?
JD: First, let me start by saying that we have no truck with Mel Gibson and his craziness, and as exciting and compelling as the “Braveheart” movie is, it’s got some pretty distasteful homophobia that is not something that we endorse, which is also something we’ve had to address with various prospective members. Still, that famous battlefield speech and the “FREEDOM!” shout was something that kept coming up at games last season, so it seemed a natural choice when naming a supporters’ group, and I think most people take it in the spirit in which it’s intended. Plus, we already had Bigg Al the bagpiper, so it was a no-brainer.
On to actually answering your question: I actually never did get out to see the Freedom during the WUSA days, even though I always meant to. I think my interest in soccer had kind of waned during those years (2001-2003), as DC United was pretty abysmal (by their previous high standards in the early days of MLS), and I wasn’t making it out to RFK as regularly as I’d done before or have since. The thought that I had a chance to watch Mia Hamm play on a regular basis and never did haunts me to this day. And when the WUSA folded, I felt like it was ALL MY FAULT. Which is not to say my ticket purchases would have saved the league, but that the ticket purchases of thousands of people like me who really loved soccer but didn’t get off their asses might have saved the league (though I now understand the WUSA business model was pretty flawed).
So when WPS started up, I was bound and determined to support the league as strongly as I could. My co-founder Jared and I have been in the Screaming Eagles supporters’ club for DC United with season tickets for a few years now (and been going to United matches since 1996), so we were introduced to the Freedom during their doubleheaders at RFK. We were impressed enough with what we saw – and especially by the play of Sonia Bompastor – that we bought a ticket pack for the remaining Freedom games out at the Maryland SoccerPlex.
And what we noticed there was a severe lack of atmosphere, where people would cheer louder for the free t-shirt toss than for good play on the field. This was really disturbing to us. Even more disturbing was fans cheering for BOTH TEAMS, which drove us nuts. Was it family and friends of the opposing players? A residual affinity for USWNT players on both sides? Or just a “I’m cheering for the league! Yay! Girl power!” kind of thing? Probably a combination of all three, and as passionate home-team supporters, it drove us NUTS. We set out to fix it. There seemed to be a few loud fans in each section, a few who would give you dirty looks for standing up and being loud, and then the majority who pretty much sat there the whole time. Trying to get quiet people to be loud, or to cheer in a way that they’re not comfortable doing seemed like a thankless task, so we proposed to fix this by putting all the loud fans in one place, and hoped the rest of the fans would eventually catch on.
We ran this by some of the players at various happy hour events (Sarah Huffman, Allie Long, Alex Singer) and they were really enthusiastic. We went to the front office staff, and the rest is history… or history in the making, anyway.
AWK: What is your ultimate aspiration for the group and is the Freedom front office/team supportive of you guys?
JD: Our ultimate aspiration is to bring soccer culture to the SoccerPlex and to have a huge section of loud, singing, drumming, creatively-heckling fans giving inspiration to the Freedom and intimidation to all of their opponents. The SoccerPlex is a lovely place to play soccer compared to some of the other stadiums in WPS (read: real grass, no American Football line markings on the field), but it shouldn’t be a place other teams look forward to playing. They should fear the Freedom, and by extension, us. We know that a lot of MLS players really don’t like coming to RFK and playing in front of the Barra Brava and Screaming Eagles, regardless of how strong or weak United happens to be at the time, and we aim to be like that someday.
At the same time, we’re a family friendly group, and know that the Freedom organization is committed to preserving that atmosphere as well. But you don’t have to be unruly and vulgar to be loud and intimidating/inspirational. You just have to be committed and have a strong pair of lungs.
And yes, the Freedom front office has gone out of their way to help us out, dedicating a section of the stadium for us (Section 111! Come join us!), loaning us flags and drums, all kinds of stuff like that. I know that GM Mark Washo someday wants to see us fill several sections with a giant Freedom jersey pulled over us (like at United games) but we’ll just take it one step at a time.
The team has been great, too. I think they know that we’re ultimately doing this for them, and they appreciate that. They’ve started coming over to give us a round of applause after the games, which I know means a lot to our group who work really hard for 90 minutes, even in sometimes ridiculous heat.
AWK: What kind of people make up the Bravehearts?
Jim's bodhran (an Irish drum) is already a bit worn out
JD: We literally have members of all ages (from kids up through middle age), men and women, different races, etc. The one thing we all have in common is that we love the Freedom and like to make a lot of noise for 90 minutes to support them!
AWK: What has been the most memorable Freedom game from the fan’s perspective?
JD: This season, I’d say the Atlanta game on April 18, where we got our first win of the season, 3-1. It was very gratifying, after having lost the home opener to Boston the week before. Another big moment for us was the July 4 game vs. Chicago. Even though we tied it felt like we were getting some momentum in terms of fan support, and also from the team, who gave us a round of applause after the match, which was a great feeling for all of us.
AWK: On the field stuff…what has been your general impression of the team so far?
JP: Which team? The one from late April through the end of May, or the one that’s been playing in June and July? I’m really not sure what the reason is, but I feel like the Freedom have been weirdly inconsistent. Not from game to game, but from month to month, which is weird considering they’ve been playing the same teams multiple times. They’ll have a really strong streak where they’re rolling over everyone, and then a mediocre streak where they’re struggling to score and conceding soft goals. Overall, though, I think they’re a stronger and more cohesive team than last year, and have found a tactical formation that works for them with Huffman and Long as central midfielders. I think we’re going to miss Lisa deVanna down the stretch, though, if we aren’t already missing her.
AWK: I know you’re a big fan but objectively, where would rank the Freedom the other WPS teams in terms of overall quality?
JD: This could vary with the day. I think when things are clicking for the Freedom they can beat anyone, and handily. When they’re not clicking, they can lose to anyone, or drop two ore even three points after blowing a lead to late goals. (Especially vs. Philly, where Lianne Sanderson has scored in injury time in two games. Gahhh.)
AWK: Jim Gabarra’s formations have always seemed to be very effective. But what kind of player could the Freedom use to become even more complete?
JD: With deVanna out for the season, I think the Freedom have yet to find that strike partner for Abby who’s just right. Both Mykjaland and Welsh have looked great at times, and not as great other times. With the Athletica dispersal draft I was wondering what we’d look like with Tarpley or Aluko, but now we know that’s not going to happen. Is Nikki Marshall the answer? The jury’s out on that one until she gets more minutes at forward, and I worry about whether that move disturbs the chemistry of the back line.
I know that the Freedom have the rights to French international Louisa Necib, who I hear is amazing, but I don’t know if or when they’ll be able to get her to WPS, though. That could be pretty exciting if she ever gets here and clicks with the team.
Jim with the hardest working person in WPS.
That would be sarah Huffman, but I’m sure Glory works pretty hard too.
AWK: Who’s more underrated: Erin McLeod or Sarah Huffman?
JD: This is like asking me to choose a favorite child! I feel that both are seriously underrated. I’m going to have to go with McLeod, though, for a couple of reasons: 1) Huffman didn’t play for virtually all of last season, so people have had less time to get familiar with her abilities, while McLeod’s got nearly two full seasons under her belt, and 2) McLeod’s performance can be more easily assessed with statistics, like being second in the league in saves and save percentage, for example. I mean, it’s staring them right there in the face but yet she still polls out of the top 4 GKs in the all-star balloting, which is something that I just can’t comprehend.
With Huffman, or any quality player in that holding midfield role, you really have to watch her play over full games to appreciate what she brings to the table; it’s not stuff that shows up on a stat sheet or makes the highlight reels. Unless she gets punched in the face by Caroline Seger, of course.
AWK: Who has been the Freedom’s most improved player since 2009?
JD: For this I’m going with Allie Long. Not that she played poorly last season, but that she was hampered by an injury (broken toe, I think) and I think she’s really flourished in her new role in central midfield (as evidenced by her recent WNT call-up). Last season she was kind of bounced around to different positions, including forward, and while was really exciting at times – I think she can be terrific attacking the goal – I don’t think she really found a home. Her role paired with Huffman in central mid really plays well to her technical strengths – she really wins a lot of balls even though she’s not as physical a player as Huffman. And she’s still pretty dangerous offensively and has a shot that commands respect, as you can see from her GOOOOLAAAZOOO vs. FCGP a few weeks back.
AWK: And finally, why do you think it’s so important to have organized fan support in WPS?
JD: Echoing my earlier answer, to really take off I think WPS needs to reflect soccer culture. Womens’ soccer is a niche within a niche in the American sporting landscape, and to be viable I think it needs to attract passionate, committed fans who will be there game in and game out. Casual fans who come to the occasional match, or families who make an evening of it now and then are all well and good and all essential parts of the equation, but the league is too young not to require some degree of commitment from its fanbase as well if it wants to survive.
Organized supporters’ groups provide an avenue for that sort of passion and commitment, as well as creating a game-day atmosphere that’s unique to professional soccer. See, with so much youth soccer in the United States, and so many successful high school and college programs, I think it’s fair to say that your average American has been to some kind of soccer match at some level. But many haven’t been to a professional match, and really have no idea about what that experience can be like (when it’s good). To me, seeing college or lower level games is fun, but when you walk into a DC United game, you’re blown away by the fan support and intensity. Everyone that we take to United games, even those that aren’t really into soccer that much, always says “Wow, that was great, I can’t wait to come back!” Often regardless of the outcome of the match. I think that if everyone who attends a Freedom (or other WPS) home game walks out saying the same thing, then the league is going to grow and prosper. I’m encouraged by all of the different interviews with supporters’ groups that you’ve conducted so far, and I look forward to seeing more, and I wish them well even though we hate their teams.
You can find more information about the Bravehearts at
http://www.washingtonbravehearts.com/ . You can also follow them on Twitter @DCBravehearts.
