Welcome to “We are Common”, our series where we showcase members of the Lansing Common community. In this feature, we introduce you to Matt Schartow.
How long have you lived in the Lansing area, and what do you enjoy most about it?
Almost my whole life, outside of a few college years and out-of-state Summer jobs. I love how Lansing unites over MSU sports as if they were a pro team. A Lansing specific team could allow the community to unite in a similar fashion but include those who are not a fan of Michigan State.
What was the moment or team that got you invested in Lansing soccer?
The moment I got the message to vote for the name of the new Lansing soccer team in 2014. Full disclosure: I voted for Mid-Michigan United, but Lansing United won. I played all my younger years and a couple of years in college but never got to experience the supporter culture. I never had a local team to root for and was determined to support a local team so that younger generations had a local team to cheer for.
What made you want to become a member of Lansing Common FC and what do you view as your role with the club as a member?
I want soccer to succeed in Lansing, which is why I’ve purchased season tickets since day 1 of Lansing United, even years I knew my job travel schedule only allowed me to attend half the games. So of course I was on board with a community-owned team.
I think roles are defined by where your strengths lie. I recall asking a friend who played with me on our college team (who was the president of a supporters group of an MLS team) why his season tickets weren’t in the supporter section and he wasn’t over there screaming and yelling. His response, “Gotta know your roll, I know mine.” There are a lot of roles in an endeavor like this and I would encourage anyone who has taken the time to read this far to take one that suits them, and it doesn’t have to involve yelling a lot.
What is something important that the team needs to do to be as successful as we want it to be?
Supporters. A team run by its fans needs fans…but if we’re a community club, we need supporters who represent the community. That means we need to recruit a much more diverse group of supporters than showed up for Lan U or Ignite games. Only 55% of Lansing is the demographic that normally showed up for those games, which means almost half of the area was not represented. Given Lansing is a fairly diverse area, I believe we need supporters of all races and cultures represented in this area to be sustainable.
Where do hope you see Lansing Common FC in 5 years?
Realistically – Self-sustaining and not worried about if there will be a “next season.”
In my dreams – In a league that at the very least guarantees us a spot in the US Open Cup. While winning a league and Milk Cup, and games like Rafa’s shirt and Rafa’s shirt 2: Electric Boogaloo were awesome, winning a game in the Open Cup as an underdog is priceless. Those that were there know.
If you would like to be featured on a future “We are Common”, please head here to submit your answers to these questions and upload a picture. It’s a great way to introduce yourself to the many who are “common”.
