Gary Evans90 said:We’re talking about interest from new kids and people coming to the indoor soccer games, right? People are waiting for them to be taught how things work. There's always this constant complaining about it being the same 50 people over and over—and yeah, that’s true—but it’s also true that none of us have actually made an effort to pull together a solid core of volunteers to help run the show (and I mean organizers, not just the hardcore fan group). Look at the membership for Cleveland Montانية; plenty of people left their contact info, especially emails. How many of those people actually got a follow-up? People expect everything handed to them on a silver platter. They show up as a group, we prep the field, they make a few excuses, and then everyone goes home. You fix stuff like this through meetings and actual education. We need to improve our collective mindset and work on unity, not just so people stop glaring at each other 😁 but so everyone can actually step up and help out, so it isn't always the same 50 people doing all the heavy lifting...
And who exactly is supposed to "educate" the people who are meant to be doing the educating? What does "fan education" even mean? Every active young person out there today basically showed up on their own and grew up alongside some slightly older heads.
Ten years ago, you wouldn't dream of a 25 or 30-year-old even talking shop with a 16-year-old. And fifteen or more years back? Forget it. Back then, you had to put in years of traveling to away games and dealing with the bullshit, the brainwashing, and the hazing just to earn a shred of respect over time.
Now? Suddenly, you're 19 or 20 and you get to be "constructive," acting like an equal and tossing out suggestions like you own the place.
Take the generation that's 28 to 30 now. When they were your age, they were out there doing graffiti, organizing actions, tagging, painting... they had ideas. And they barely had any contact with the "leadership" back then beyond the basics.
Realize that education starts with you. Nobody can turn you into a fan if you don't have it in you and don't love it. No one can teach you what makes a good choreo, a great piece of street art, or a solid chant if you aren't a real fan and haven't lived on the streets. You learn all that shit as you grow up, hanging with the older crowd, through experience, and just maturing within the scene.
The older guys are just there to give a nudge when things stall, same as anyone else who isn't super active. Being a fan isn't some math equation or a set formula...