CASE 017: SOCCER IN THE HEARTLAND

CASE 017: SOCCER IN THE HEARTLAND

Commonly referred to as “The American Heartland”, the industrial and agricultural core of the United States spans from the Great Lakes, across the prairies, to the foothills of the Rockies. At the base of this perspective-inducing mountain range is where you find us - pondering questions far larger than the sport of Soccer. 

While it ain’t Nebraska, Colorado is nearly as far as you can get from a foreign country in the United States. Almost 1,000 miles from either Canada or Mexico, and over 1,000 miles to any coastline, the relatively muted foreign influence immediately piqued my interest. I think that may be why, standing on the bleachers at Prentup Field as the University of Colorado Women’s Soccer team lined up against New Mexico State under a setting August sun, I experienced the national anthem in a way I never had before. 

As the music played over the stadium speakers, the 1,000+ fans all rose to their feet, turned to the flag in the corner, removed their hats, and stood there silently as they watched the red and white stripes dance in the wind. Perhaps it’s the current unprecedented political and national identity crisis in the United States, or maybe it's just me, but I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable and incredibly grateful to take in that moment with a herd of soccer fans. If two contradictory things can be true at the same time, then this was one of the most attention-grabbing manifestations of it. Sometimes, it just takes a game of soccer to look your country in its heart and see that it truly is a contradiction. On a good day, you may see it as beautiful. On a bad day, it may be aggravating. In reality, it's probably both all the time. 

This notion could not have been embodied more perfectly than moments prior to the playing of the national anthem, when the stadium announcer welcomed the Colorado Buffaloes to the field and shared a note on the significance of the Buffalo as a mascot. Conventionally, the University refers to the Buffalo as a symbol of “strength, resilience, and determination,” but they included a note on the indigenous origins and meaning of the beloved figure. For several Plains tribes, including the Arapaho and Cheyenne, whose traditional territories cover the entirety of the CU Boulder campus, the Buffalo represents “life itself”. 

Selected through a competition in the student newspaper in 1934, separate from an indigenous context, the University’s adoption of the buffalo as a mascot had initially produced a “notable disconnect between the university's lighthearted use of the symbol and the animal's profound meaning to Native peoples, especially since the mascot was adopted in the aftermath of a federal campaign to exterminate the buffalo as a means of destroying Native livelihoods” (University of Colorado’s Center For Indigenous Studies). 

While it took only a minute, the acknowledgement of the native meaning of the Buffalo marked the intention to bridge that disconnect. A small gesture, but an important one. Maybe it’s the idealist in me, but I thought it was pretty damn awesome to see the Buffalo hold that much power in such a contradictory world.

When the whistle finally blew to kick us off, time stood still. In what felt like the first kick of the match, we sat there and watched as the ball floated across the mountainous backdrop. Colorado’s striker rose like a salmon to meet it with her head. Picked up by Mac Herman Trophy candidate Ava Priest, the Buffs spread the ball out to the wing, whipped in a phenomenal cross, and saw Striker, Faith Leyba, bravely head the ball home. It was about as powerful a start to a match as I’d ever seen in person. It was also the opening goal in an eventual 4-1 rout for the Buffaloes. 

With the stars trickling into their places above the Rockies, I find myself in the familiar headspace so often brought on while researching and writing these cases. It’s hard to do anything but return to the sense of gratitude I have for this sport. Soccer is a complicated medium - perfect for entertainment and perfect for contemplation. Soccer tends to provide a distraction when needed and throw a mirror on us when necessary. Tonight, it did both. Thank you to the University of Colorado and New Mexico State Women’s Soccer Programs for playing their part in this special experience.

CASE #017 BY MAX NEVE