Soccer 101: How to be a fanatic

With the Adidas Classic kicking off the men's soccer season Friday, it's time for campus to once again get excited about the school's most successful athletic program. Every season these matches are well attended, yet Bill Armstrong Stadium lacks one thing: atmosphere. \nAlthough I have met some of the craziest people I know at IU soccer games, I have noticed that you can get most students to a game, but you can't make them cheer.\n Have no fear, for I can help. While I might not be the foremost authority on the details of the game, I have watched enough soccer to know its fans.\nDon't worry. Being a soccer fan doesn't mean you have to participate in riots or start a war with a neighboring country (although Canada has it coming to them).\nAll I ask is that when you show up to the games this weekend, don't just sit there. Be part of the game. This is not tennis ' silence is bad while watching a soccer match. Whether there is end-to-end action or it's a 0-0 stalemate, there should always be something going on in the stands, which is where my great experiment comes in: Yeagley's Army.\nWhat, you ask, is Yeagley's Army? Well, ideally you take the creative aspect of Duke's Cameron Crazies, the devotion of the Cleveland Browns' Dawg Pound, and the usually endless supply of energy that college students have and, voila, you have a student section fit for IU soccer.\nNow, of course, any successful organization must have guidelines, and the rules of Yeagley's Army would be so simple, even a Purdue student could follow them:\n 1. Get there before the game kicks off! While this seems to be a no-brainer, many of our fans, and you know who you are, seem to have trouble with this one. This also guarantees that you'll get a prime seating location, ideally up front near the opposing squad.\n 2. Noisemaking items are always a good idea. It doesn't matter what it is. If it makes noise, it will do. So bring your cowbells, drums, a pot and a wooden spoon. Anything will do! While the noise doesn't necessarily have to be organized, a sense of rhythm is appreciated. However, leave the instruments at home; the Crabb Band has covered that department.\n3. Respect the other team. Remember, this isn't England or New York, so leave the beer bottles, batteries and rolls of pennies at home, Hooligans! While you must always respect the other team, there's nothing that says you can't get under their skin. How would you feel if you were issued a yellow card and you looked up into the stands to see thousands of yellow cards being waved at you? Intimidation... its not just for players anymore!\n4. Banners, flags and signs are not mandatory, but they certainly go a long way towards creating a better atmosphere for the home team.\n5. Never let the stadium be silent! Come up with chants, cheers, songs... if it keeps you vocal then do it!\nSoccer fans are by far the most passionate fans in the sports world, so why should it be any different at the school with the most successful collegiate program in the country? Much like the Helmet Heads of Hoosier Football fame, I see Yeagley's Army providing this team with something it hasn't had before ' a real student section.\nSo students, consider yourselves officially drafted. Now with the season just four days away, it's time to mobilize. Remember, soccer games at The Bill always have been and will always be free. \nThe games are over early enough that you\'ll have plenty of time to do whatever college students do on the weekends. With time and money out of the way, you have zero excuses not to be there this weekend. \nSo grab a friend ' or 12 ' and come to the games this weekend, and show them you're nuts about soccer.