Emerald City Supporter:
2012 was a year full of ups and downs for our club; a year full of elation followed by devastation; a year of great memories and dashed opportunities. Our beloved Sounders once again turned in a winning season and played their hearts out. Yes, we did not win any silverware – a first for this club at the MLS level – but we also made it further in the playoffs.
The ebb and flow of this season was probably felt more than in the previously three years in MLS. In those first three years the novelty had not worn off, the expectations were contained, and the maturity of our club was still in development. This year we felt more like a tested club that has been around the block, a club that was ready to set a concrete and realistic goal before itself. Not all the goals set were achieved, yet this, I believe, is a new starting point for the club. In certain ways, our first 3 years in MLS felt like our adolescent years: we were maturing, we were figuring out who we were, we were defining what we wanted and how we wanted to play. In 2012, I feel this club matured and truly became aware of its ambitions and identity. 2013 will be a continued maturation process and without a doubt, our Sounders will set the same goals as this past season: continued improvement, silverware, and continue to be a top-tier MLS club.
In the same fashion, the ECS lives and breathes alongside the Sounder organization. We share the same desires and our support matches our players' drive. In parallel to how I described the growth of the club, the ECS has also grown in similar nature. Don't worry, I'm not talking about numbers. Surely we continue to grow, but it is the belief that the ECS is going to be here for a long while that was really cemented in 2012. We are a dedicated group of passionate supporters that have an embedded mentality of passing on our passion and infecting those around us. We have a sustainable structure that enables new members to climb the ranks or empowers members to support the way they want to support. We have a supporter group that can always be relied upon home and away. We are able to do more with less, we are able to reach out to new supporters while still relying on those that have been around a while. We all understand that this group will outlive us and that is an amazing feeling.
The accomplishments and lessons learned in 2012 by the ECS are too many to count. We made amazing tifos, our songs are louder than ever before, our travel is awe-inspiring, our charity efforts are focused, our communication avenues are expanding and improving, and our leadership structure is making strides to accomplish our ultimate objective: enabling our members to support our boys to their fullest. I could make a long run down of specifics, but I don't want to distract you from the underlying vision and goal of this organization. There is a lot we can do better, but we are confident and assured that our vision of the entire Brougham End singing, pogoing, waving, flags, and chanting is well within our reach.
The vision of creating the most inspiring, intimidating, and dedicated supporter end in North America is alive and well. In 2013, we will be one season closer.
See you on the terraces.
Greg Mockos
ECS Co-President
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