Full disclosure: I am the Chapter Leader for American Outlaws Des Moines. I didn’t campaign for this job, I was just the first person from Iowa to express interest in a chapter, and I continue to do it because I believe passionately in the soccer supporter movement in the US, and American Outlaws are doing it best right now in my neck of the corn field. I’ve been a member of Sam’s Army too, before AO started, so if you have a local Sam’s Army chapter that’s really making it work in your town, knock yourself out. This blog is about why you should support your local supporters group (SG).
This rant was started by a discussion on the Chapter Leader’s board for AO on a thread talking about members who didn’t want to pay to renew their AO membership. Let’s look at the member benefits, in addition to the T-shirt and bandana you get every year. The membership page of American Outlaws lists this:
“Benefits
- Discounts on Tickets to the supporters section of each US game
- Membership benefits at events such as tailgates, viewing parties, etc.
- 10% Discounts at http://shop.bigsoccer.com/
- Free gifts from great companies such as NIKE, FSC, and more… (varies based on events)
- Flight Discounts from Continental Airlines to any US Soccer game, anywhere in the world. http://www.continental.com
Supporting the next generation of US Soccer diehards”
Apparently, there are people out there that look at that list and think “well, I don’t go to games, so I’m not getting the full value of my membership, and therefore, it’s not worth it.” So let me tell you why I not only pay for membership for myself, but for every member of my family, including our kids who could get supporter tickets and travel discounts through our membership. It all has to do with that last line.
Supporting the next generation of US Soccer diehards. That one line should be worth $24 a year to you if you love US Soccer. Maybe you weren’t around before AO. Before SGs, there was very little organization at games, no big meetups of fans at games, or in Vegas. There was no way for me to look up in any town where I might be traveling and find where I could watch a US game or the Euros. Maybe you don’t use that stuff today, but it should be worth $2 a month to make sure it’s around in the future.
Doesn’t it make you happy to see a group of psycho US supporters behind the goal? That costs money. The banners, the capos leading the cheers. The tailgate with enough social lubricant to get all those people singing. So even if you don’t get to games, your membership helps support building soccer culture in the US and on the road.
Look, I know we’re all looking for ways to cut expenses, but please….support the work that American Outlaws is doing to build US Soccer. They’ll even send you a free T-shirt.
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