What’s Going On in Kansas City Current Game Day at CPKC Stadium? More Than You’d Think

Sometimes, during the heat of a KC Current home game, Trina Hawkins will leave the chanting and drumming of the supporters’ stands behind and take a walk around CPKC Stadium.

She often likes what she sees. Or rather, what she hears.

Shots, shots, shot-shot-shot-shots! Everybody!

We want one more, just like the others: We! Want! Two!

“I can hear other sections doing the chants, and I can hear the whole stadium,” Hawkins said. “(I’ve) heard from different people around the league that people hear us, they know we’re there. And that’s pretty cool.”

Hawkins is the president of the Kansas City Blue Crew, the de facto supporters group of the Current. If you’ve ever watched a Current game and never heard of the Blue Crew, you’ve at least heard of heard them.

They – along with the Surface Tension drumline – are the ones responsible for leading the southern supporters’ stands in the songs, drums and chants that engulf CPKC for 90 minutes plus injury time.

“We absolutely embrace it and are quite excited that we’ve created an atmosphere where our players enjoy playing and their opponents don’t,” Hawkins said. “Or maybe they do enjoy it because there’s so much noise and women’s football hasn’t always had that.”

Women’s soccer has also never had a place like CPKC Stadium, the world’s first purpose-built stadium for a professional women’s sports team. This year, it was even named one of the ‘World’s Greatest Places’ by Time Magazine.

It’s no surprise then that going to a Current home game involves more than just watching a football game. The atmosphere is electric, with roaring crowds, blaring train horns (in honor of the railroad company the stadium is named after) and the sharp, smoky smell of pre-game fireworks. It’s all the result of careful collaboration between stadium staff and fans like the Blue Crew.

A collaboration that was built from the ground up in CPKC’s first year.

Hosting from the big screen

Lydia Taylor is the presenter of Current Stadium and can regularly be seen on the big screen in the stadium.

“Being at CPKC this year is — I mean, there’s no word in my vocabulary that describes it,” Taylor said. “Very rarely has a women’s sports team had this level of in-game entertainment, this level of production that goes into their game day.”

Taylor has been with the team since its inception, from when they were the undiscovered KC NWSL at Legends Field to the newly formed KC Current that split Children’s Mercy Park with Sporting KC … to the home team that is dominating the current NWSL season.

During games, she chats with fans on the sidelines, encourages the crowd to scream as loudly as possible and helps with the “KC Baby!” chant that kicks off every home game.

Taylor’s work is based on a script produced by Current’s match production office, and outlines the pre-match show, halftime entertainment and updates on everything from league standings to concourse autograph sessions.

Once she has a script, Taylor says, she typically prepares for 72 hours before a competition, memorizing it “like the back of my hand” and preparing “to go with the flow.” No autocue, mostly improvisation.

“It’s interesting how busy we are. Not just me, but the game day crew. They’re getting so many elements and activations set up and ready to go,” Taylor said. “We’re all grinding behind the scenes (to make it) seamless, but it’s not behind a curtain — we’re really trying not to come across as stressed or running around.”

According to Taylor, what makes a good host varies from stadium to stadium. Some have different audio quirks and types of scripts, while different fan groups have their own quirks.

Taylor believes her style as a hostess allows her authenticity to shine.

“That’s what sets me apart because I was born and raised here. I just try to be an extension of our community and relate to all the fans out there. I have a good mix of conversational authenticity and also some hype,” Taylor said.

And what’s unique about CPKC, Taylor added, is that the Current community allows her to organize the best she can.

“Knowing who the fans of KC Current love and why they love Current and why it’s important to them (helps) make sure that I do this job for the team that they love,” Taylor said. “I’m not just on the video board at the microphone, I’m just one of them that has a microphone, and I hope to do them justice.”

Representation of the current KC fanbase

Hawkins and the Blue Crew also do their utmost to do justice to Current’s broader fan base.

Besides the capos with megaphones leading the chants and songs and the brightly colored tifos decorating the stands, there is also a lot of work going on behind the scenes that brightens up the CPKC matches.

The Blue Crew is organizationally independent from the Current, so much of Hawkins’ job involves communicating with Current management.

“I do a lot of education,” Hawkins said. “What I mean by that is a lot of the front office people come from other sports, so they’re not really used to football. The (culture) is different with football. It’s cool to have in-stadium music and stuff, but really we should be driving most of the chants and noise that goes on in the stadium.”

Hawkins said it took some time — due to some confusion with the music coming from the speakers over a Blue Crew song — but the Current has worked well with the Blue Crew this season, from the field staff to the liaisons at headquarters.

The partnership doesn’t stop there. If you’ve ever gotten tired of the supporters’ section, you can thank the Blue Crew for their support of benches in an area that is often reserved for other football venues.

“It excludes people. I mean, there are people with disabilities who may not be able to afford to sit in a more expensive seat, but they still want to come to a football game,” Hawkins said.

Nowadays the Blue Crew lobbies for cup holders on the south stand.

“It’s funny when you’re a fan base, because people think, ‘Oh, well, you just love the team,'” Hawkins said. “Everything we do is for the team, but we also hold the front office accountable for the decisions they make.”

It’s a labor of love. Hawkins juggles her Blue Crew duties (which also involve arriving at games three hours early to set up drums and flags) with a full-time job — all Blue Crew leaders, Hawkins said, have full-time jobs.

But all that volunteer work, organising festivities around match day and the physical and social inclusivity in the stadium seems worth it.

“There’s a real local aspect, and luckily everyone gets along,” Hawkins said. “We love it, and we’re all there to have a good time.”

Long after the final whistle blows at CPKC Stadium, the city centre skyline glows blue-green and red all night long.

In Kansas City, a game day doesn’t end until the fans feel like it.