It鈥檚 12:30 p.m. on a Monday. The 国产剧麻豆剧 women鈥檚 soccer team has just finished warming up on the field below as the hot August sun shines down on nearly empty bleachers.
The women have posted winning records for the past decade but their stadium doesn鈥檛 have lights so they often have to play games in the middle of the day when most of their fanbase is in class.
The game starts and a raucous 鈥淟et鈥檚 go, Loma!鈥� breaks out over the pitch
Later that evening the women鈥檚 basketball team warms up for a 7 p.m. game. They don鈥檛 play a rival tonight so the team expects a low turnout. Warm up concludes and just as the game gets going, a small group of students decked out in green and gold enter Golden Gym already cheering the Sea Lions on.
These are the members of Loma鈥檚 student section also known as the Green Sea Hooligans. And they wouldn鈥檛 miss an awkwardly timed game for anything.
鈥淭hey have such an impact,鈥� said Brian Thornton, senior associate athletic director, who works with the Green Sea on a regular basis. 鈥淎nd when you talk to the student-athletes, they say it makes a difference because they can count on the Green Sea to be there.鈥�
Even though it鈥檚 a fairly young organization (the original Hooligans were established in 2011) the Green Sea has already created a legacy that runs deep at Loma.
鈥淲e channel energy for athletics and create hype. But we鈥檙e also committed to making all students feel wanted and welcome."
鈥淲e channel energy for athletics and create hype,鈥� said Ryland Lofto (21), who led the Green Sea as the Associated Student Body Director for School Spirit during his time at 国产剧麻豆剧. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e also committed to making all students feel wanted and welcome.鈥�
Smaller universities like Loma often have fewer sports than their Division I or larger Division II counterparts. That means school spirit and fan energy are sometimes harder to come by. But if you ask the Loma athletes, the Green Sea more than makes up for the smaller student population.
鈥淭he Green Sea does really give you a feeling of being at a big university,鈥� said women鈥檚 basketball alum Isabel Turk (21). 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have the same numbers but they show up with the same energy. Plus you know it鈥檚 gonna be your friends cheering you on and getting your faculty to come to games and it creates a really fun, unique environment.鈥�
And even at a small school, it鈥檚 still a tradition to show out for big rival games. Lofto and Thornton would work together on the schedule for the upcoming season to make sure that the Green Sea comes out in full force for games and matches where a little extra energy is needed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a fun commitment,鈥� said Thornton. 鈥淭he average Green Sea member probably goes to 10-15 games per year; you know, they don鈥檛 have to make it to all 110 events. They go to 10 or 12 and have fun and make noise and get people engaged.鈥�
And while their goal is to support athletics and create positive energy for Loma鈥檚 official teams, the Hooligans are also a sort of 鈥渢eam鈥� themselves. They provide a place of belonging for students who love athletics but aren鈥檛 student-athletes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a small community,鈥� said Turk, referring to the close feel among students, faculty, and staff at Loma. 鈥淵ou actually know the people in the crowd cheering for you and they always focus on cheering us on rather than putting the other team down.鈥�
鈥淚n general we鈥檙e a group of crazy, energetic, goofy people,鈥� said Lofto, 鈥渂ut we鈥檙e also a family. We go to dinners together and spend a lot of time together. We love hanging out.鈥�
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Beyond creating a positive space for students and student-athletes alike, the Green Sea also occupies an elusive middle ground that鈥檚 valuable to both the athletics department and the student body.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a natural divide between student-athletes and their non-athlete peers due to schedules,鈥� said Thornton. 鈥淲e use groups like the Green Sea to intentionally bridge that gap.鈥�
Whether it鈥檚 standing out on Caf Lane with chances to win Chick-Fil-A gift cards or hosting an annual dodgeball tournament in partnership with ASB, Lofto knows that the Green Sea exists to create connections between students and athletes and also between students and other areas of campus.
鈥淥ne thing that separates us from other student sections is that we don鈥檛 just cheer on athletes,鈥� said Lofto.
In recent years, the Green Sea has worked to be present at a variety of events from theatre productions to concerts. They鈥檝e also made it their goal to encourage student-athlete attendance at these events.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want it to be a one-way street,鈥� said Thornton, 鈥渨here athletes are like 鈥楥ome to our games, but we don鈥檛 care about your event,鈥� so we鈥檙e working to change that and show them that athletes do care about those things.鈥�
That care is what makes Loma鈥檚 Green Sea Hooligans different from average student sections. Their commitment to Loma extends beyond the wins and losses.
鈥淲e want to bring hype and energy to everything we do,鈥� said Lofto. 鈥淓verything about the community here and time we have on campus is special so we want to pour all this energy and love into it. We all love Loma.鈥�