Editors Note: This guest post is from our own Vice President and Boss Capo Alex Miner. In the time it has been my privilege to know him, he has become one of my most trusted friends and confidants. The Coopers would not be within a light year of where we are now without him. First, read. Second, GET HYPED! ~Tom

An open letter to Louisville City FC, The Louisville Coopers, and every purple clad family member of this incredible fan base:

The hype for the first game in Louisville City FC history was an incredible personal thing for me to experience. A few thousand fans attended that 2-0 victory over St Louis FC, and a great many people who attended that match (myself included) weren’t really sure what sort of product we would see on the field…but we were there. I vividly remember carrying the hand painted Coopers flag on the march into the stadium. I remember walking down the street towards Slugger trying to get the folks who joined us on that march hyped up. It continued in the supporters section. Just myself, Augustus Waiters, and Ken Luther trying to get the crowd into the game. We WERE sitting in the supporters section after all.

We had no bull horns, no drums or drumline, no Capo stand, only a couple of songs that we threw together and no idea what we were doing. I was just thankful to finally have a pro soccer team in the town I was born and raised in. The conclusion of the second home game brought Joe Vala and his single drum into the fold, and about halfway through the season we picked up another Capo in Billy Cortes. Still after a highly successful first season, we really didn’t know what we were doing to lead the supporters section…but we were learning. And growing.

Year two brought more success on the pitch and more success in the stands. New supporters’ groups were forming, attendance continued to grow, and the LCFC hype train was starting to take hold around the city. People were starting to really take notice of this new, exciting thing happening at Slugger field.

And then we get to this year. And well, we all know how this year has been. This has turned into something that I had only ever dreamt was possible as a kid and even as an adult and the best part is, it’s only going to keep getting bigger and better. All of you reading this must know what you all mean to the players, the club, the city…and to me. “The Purple Family” as it has been called many times, is the heartbeat of this organization. And you are all a part of it.

Last night, sprinting from one end of slugger to the other for PK’s, then back to the other side to light off more smoke bombs, then jumping over the Capo stand to rush the field in celebration is a memory I will never forget. My son, the original “mini-Cooper” was able to experience it with me. I hugged people I didn’t even know. I hugged crying players. I carried a purple Mohawk wearing Capo around the field after he jumped into my arms like a scene from a dramatic movie. Euphoric is a good word to describe it, but not the only word. So many words and so many feelings.

So many people deserve credit for supporting this club and helping it grow to what it is today. I couldn’t nearly list them all. Personally, there is no way I would have been able to not only attend, but Capo every Louisville City home game ever without the lovely “Mrs. Boss Capo”, Kelly, being there supporting the club and containing my three year old son as he jumps around in the aisle way and plays the drums.

The leadership of this organization from year one, to today has continued to grow and has become a fluid machine. The front office leadership, coaching staff, and players of Louisville City have continued to evolve and somehow get better every single year. Every fan that has ever attended a home game deserves an enormous amount of credit for helping to grow this team and this game in the city of
Louisville. That’s right, every single one of you.

I’m in dreamland after last night and it would be easy to consider the job done after how far we have come in three years. But to echo “El Jefe” Tom Farmer in his earlier post, we aren’t done yet. We have one more match; the most important match in club history. Yes it sucks that it is on a Monday night, with Lady Gaga in town and it will probably be chilly. But I implore you, I plead you, I beg you. DO NOT MISS THIS GAME. Invite everyone you know. We have folks who have moved away, flying in from all over the country to be at this game. The boys in purple need your support, now more than ever. One more time come with me and join the march to the match as we take over the streets surrounding slugger. One more time form-up and get the party started with our drumline cadences and chants above the supporters section. ONE MORE TIME, SCREAM YOUR LUNGS OUT… AND THEN KEEP GOING. As always I will take the Capo stand and give you all every single breath that I have in me, until my tank runs dry, and then I will KEEP GOING. This is our time. This is Louisville City FC’s time. I love every one of you like my family. It has been a privilege to be in a position to lead the supporters section and have a leadership role in the Coopers. Come be a part of this special time on Monday the 13th at 9pm. On that night…we will have the boys’ back once again as they FULLFILL THEIR DESTINY!!! C’mon CI-TY!

Alex Miner
Louisville Coopers Vice President
Boss Capo