University of North Carolina Athletics
I'm A Tar Heel: Hanna Gardner
October 6, 2016 | Women's Soccer
Dear Tar Heel Fans,
I was that kid. Growing up in Chapel Hill, I was that kid who never missed a game, who ran around in the stands with a pom-pom under my hat so that I could have Carolina Blue hair. I was the kid who would wait ages after the games so that I could get every piece of clothing I owned signed by the players, as my parents trailed behind me apologizing for the inconvenience.
But, to be honest, I really only made it inside the stadium for half of the games. My brother and I would spend warm up kicking around on Hooker Field, until before we knew it, the final whistle had blown without us even seeing the field. While I was just about as obsessed with the team as you could get, I was just as obsessed with the game. You could have called me the worst ball girl in history; even with the closest possible view in the house, I spent every moment with my eyes on the ball juggling at my feet. Not to mention how many stray balls wound up on the field because of my mistouch . . . But, maybe I was just impatiently waiting the 10 years until I would step on the field for real.
Now, on the other side of the fence, and I have positively determined – with only a bit of self-conceit – that this university undoubtedly has the best fans. And, while most of you reading this letter are surely not a hyperactive prepubescent like I was, no amount of support you give goes unnoticed. I have had the honor of hearing Art Halperin yelling “Intensity!” at the very top of his old man lungs, each rasping yell maintaining the same passion and uplifting message, for the past decade. And with the recent passing of our greatest UNC women's soccer fan of the century (literally, a whole century!), we now hold the honor of carrying his message on our wrist tape and in this team's heart through this season.
For it is fans like that who remind us how special it is to represent this university. Through my own personal games when my mistakes seem to outnumber my successes, or the crushing team losses that occasionally shock our program's prestigious history, it is always dependable to look within the stands to mend morale. And after those oh so sweet wins, no matter how beat up, bruised, and sore, there is no better feeling than swaying to Hark the Sound, hearing the stadium echo expletives of where Dook should go... Looking into those stands, after victory or defeat, serves as a reminder of why we keep on fighting, always with the utmost “Intensity!”
Thank you so much to the young and the old, those who've been there from the beginning and those new to the audience, the nearby residents and those who cheer from afar. Thank you for your undying support, and for helping us represent our deep pride for this great university.
Much love,
UNC Women's Soccer
Senior, Chapel Hill, N.C.
