“Hannah, can you be in a video for us?” Riley Garrison and Will Stickles, leaders of the student-led Union Blitz, asked me one day in Cobo as I was eating lunch.
“Sure,” I replied. “Why not.”
Both of them grinned, and Garrison started filming as Stickles asked, “Hannah, what is the Union Blitz?”
What was I supposed to say to that? I knew it was a student-led group that tried to hype up students for games, but I did not know much else past that.
“It’s a Blitz where students get hype and support our teams,” I said.
That week, the Blitz team began getting students excited for the first home game for the men’s soccer team. The theme was one that heavily resonates with the Union student body: country vs. country club. Their goal: to get students to dress up, show up and show out.
I did not dress up, show up or show out to that game. Going to Union Athletic events was not something that I did unless I had time or if a bunch of my friends dragged me to go — and I love sports.
On Saturday night, I walked to my dorm from my car, and I heard people screaming. I thought I was about to die or get swarmed by people. I had no idea what was going on.
Then it came to me — that was the Union Blitz at the men’s soccer game. I was shocked at how loud it was.
“We probably had 100 plus students at the game. If you know from last year like, that is crazy,” Garrison said. “And they were all in. I would chant something and then they chant it, and then we’d go back and forth.”
“They were having a good time. And we were having a good time too,” Stickles said. “And even though we didn’t win, the energy was definitely there, [it was] the most I’ve ever seen at a soccer game.”
The electrifying soccer game that the Union Blitz contributed to was against Harding University. It was a low-scoring game — no teams scored the whole game, and it looked like it was going to be a tie, until Solomon Pela, a sophomore forward, scored the first goal.
“Solomon got the ball on the wing, cut it in, hit a goal, top upper 90,” Garrison said, “Solomon runs over to the corner and we’re all screaming our faces off, like, mega celebration. It was electric.”
Garrison told me that the players were shocked at how many students came and supported the team, as they are used to having low turnout at games.
“That was the best environment I’ve ever played in,” the soccer players said to Garrison, “You guys made such a difference in the game.”
What is the difference between this year and last year with the Blitz? All of a sudden, students are now showing up to games and supporting the teams. After talking to Garrison and Stickles, I realized it was their passion for the Blitz that made the difference.
As a runner for Union’s cross-country team, Garrison has an interesting perspective.
“I get it from both sides, because I am an athlete, so I understand the need and the desire to have people at your sporting events,” Garrison explains, “But then, I’m also a student who loves Union and wants to cheer them on, so I want to merge those things together.”
Garrison and Stickles, regardless of being some of the most fun, goofy and outgoing people I know, could not do this alone for the Blitz. They are joined by Jack Shackleford, Ezra Garrison, Alaina Perry and Peyton Campbell.
“We’ve got a lot of reach throughout all the different areas of Union,” Stickles said. “We’ve got club sports, UU Athletics and greek life.”
With this reach that the Union Blitz has this year, they are ready to change the narrative and make the Blitz more serious and a bigger deal to Union Athletics.
“We’re trying to bridge the gap between athletes and students,” Garrison explained.
“Our biggest goal is to unite athletes and students more,” Stickles said. “[When] students don’t know the athletes, they don’t make a point to go to the games.”
Garrison said that the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has started to bridge the gap between various sports at Union, and he has seen the fruit from that, and he is hopeful that now, students and athletes will interact more and desire to support each other.
“We’re trying to change the narrative with athletics as a whole on campus,” Garrison said, “The fans are just as important as the players.”
Looking ahead, the Blitz has an event Sept. 28 at the women’s soccer game with a beach theme. They are anticipating having a big crowd again and can continue to use this momentum from the last Blitz event to continue to bridge the gap between athletes and students.
There’s one thing required for students.
“Just come out and support,” Stickles said.
