Photos courtesy of Columbus CREW
From highlighting local heroes through social media campaigns to engaging with fans of all ages in a number of virtual activities, the club has remained a beacon of positivity for the city that once helped prevent its potential departure. Dee and Jimmy Haslam, owners of the Columbus Crew SC, donated more than $1.5 million to Ohio relief funds. $500,000 went directly to the Columbus Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund, which assists nonprofit organizations throughout the city that are responding to the spread of COVID-19 and need financial help.
“We are humbled by the tremendous work of people around the world in their efforts to help those impacted by COVID-19 and we wanted to try to positively impact those affected in our own communities of Cleveland and Columbus,” the Haslams said in a press release following the donation. “We are grateful for the individuals who are putting others before themselves and for the sacrifices they are making.”
Robert Mora
Train like the Crew
With thousands of Crew fans and families across Columbus stuck inside during the mandated stay-at-home order in April and May, the team found ways to engage with its fan base through activities such as virtual story time with local children, delivering meals to construction workers and recognizing doctors and nurses for their efforts amidst the pandemic.
Staff even broke down game film and plays for fans to learn more about the technical side of
professional soccer.
“The Crew is part of the greater Columbus community and being a part of that means sharing experiences, your problems, your victories,” Dr. Pete Edwards, part owner of the Columbus Crew SC, says. “We felt during this adverse time, the littlest we could do is try and entertain and engage the fans and give back to the community in any way we could.”
The Crew’s efforts throughout the past couple of months serve as a positive example in the community. And in the spirit of remaining active through quarantine, the Crew launched a competition among fans in place of games in the form of a 30-day Step Challenge.
Once signed up for the challenge, people are assigned a coach, which was either a Crew SC player or coach and a team captain from the team’s front office. From there, teams engage with one another on social media, download step tracking apps and log those steps each day.
Two rookies, Aiden Morris and Sebastian Berhalter, serve as coaches in the challenge. Though it was not the expected start to their professional careers, the two remain highly engaged with these activities.
“These are tough times for everyone, so it’s been an easy way to connect with everyone and a good way to branch out to younger kids, too,” Morris says.
Berhalter mentions that the challenge is extremely competitive and the players are always reaching out to their teams and recognizing them on social media. With no games scheduled, the two are highly motivated to get their names out there.
“We aren’t starters yet, so we aren’t as heavily involved in the community as some others are,” Berhalter says. “It’s been a great opportunity for younger guys like us to interact with them a little more.”
While the season is not yet underway, the two rookies are getting a head start on their engagement in the community and are taking full advantage of representing the club off the field. And while it’s been a fierce competition within the Step Challenge, the two also faced off in live stream video game tournaments via Twitch as well.
“We’ve all been playing together for the past two years, a lot of Fortnite,” Morris says. “It was fun. It was like we had a game coming up. There were quarterfinals, semifinals ... Everyone was getting ready and making sure they stay hydrated.”
Delayed Start
While there is currently no official start date to the MLS season, like many other professional athletes, Morris and Berhalter spent the first couple of months adjusting to life away from team functions and games.
Aside from spending time with family, reading books and participating in challenges with the city, the two say the team still remains in contact through group chats and making sure everyone is on the same page. Coaches send workout plans for the team to complete each week at home as well.
“You look at this in a more positive way than just being stuck at home. We use this as an opportunity to get better,” Morris says. “It’s a good opportunity to focus on your craft and the little details. ... That’s what separates the average players from the best players.”
And while Columbus eagerly waits to see its hometown team take the MAPFRE Stadium field one last year before moving downtown, the club remains just as excited to return to action.
“You don’t realize how much you miss it until it’s really gone,” Edwards says. “You enjoy going to the games, following the team, reading articles online. It carries beyond watching the game and into the fabric of the community. We have a really good team. I am more excited than anything to see the guys play and see how good we really are.”
Rocco Falleti is an editor. Feedback welcome at rfalleti@cityscenecolumbus.com
