Ruth Ayala Terrazas ’29
Staff Writer
Woo Cru, a student-led group focused on improving the fan experience at Holy Cross athletic games, is still in its early stages but already hopes to make a lasting impact on the college’s athletic culture. Freshmen Regan Allison and Abby Mauldin now lead the organization after discovering its existence at the annual fall club fair.
For both students, sports played an important role in their high school careers but there were defining moments for each that highlighted the importance of the willingness of others to see them play. For Allison, this moment happened when her varsity volleyball team got the news that the team would be playing its home games in the gym on the high school campus instead of a gym a drive away.
“I had been so used to playing without anyone seeing,” Allison said. “But my senior year [when] we moved the whole student section was filled and it was just really cool to be in that environment.”
Mauldin, as a swimmer, noticed the sharp contrast between attendance at meets.
“Unless it was divisionals or states it was hard to get the high energy,” she said.
At the first meeting after the club fair, a solid number of students showed interest. However, as the semester progressed, attendance slowly decreased. Soon, Allison and Mauldin were the only students left with the group’s advisor Mackenzie Drew.
Mauldin saw the situation as WooCru’s first and hardest challenge.
“I did not think there was going to be a ton of support for this if people were not receptive to even attending a [short] meeting,” Mauldin said.
The pair decided to continue meeting and soon fell into a rhythm. The main format of these meetings consists primarily of throwing out a bunch of ideas and then sorting through them to see which ones could work.
It is here where Allison thinks that, “adding more people will help us expand ideas [and] events we could attend.”
WooCru has already attended several football and basketball games, handing out purple swag and encouraging students to participate in giveaways.
However, the group’s most recent accomplishment has been a mini mic session at the Women’s Sport Clinic this past February. The video which is posted on the WooCru’s Instagram page @hcwoocru consists of Mauldin and Allison asking multiple female athletes a variety of questions like sports trivia. The post gained traction and the co-leaders found themselves texting each other updates on the views and reposts.
“The engagement from the community and the athletes was great. It shows that we’re getting somewhere,” said Mauldin.
It is important to note that so far, most of the members of WooCru, including those working behind the scenes with the college’s athletic department like Mackenzie Drew, are women. When asked if this was an intentional choice, both students expressed that it was not. Rather, it gradually became only women.
“I know we’re all women but it never [crossed] my mind because we were all passionate about sports,” said Allison. “What drove us was [each other’s] enthusiasm and creativity. If we do end up being an all female club it’s not the end of the world but we want multiple different perspectives.”
“Everyone can have an interest in sports,” Mauldin added. “We showcase one segment of that.”
WooCru’s mission is to challenge the idea that the athletes and the game alone determine whether an athletic event is exciting.
While the players on the field, court, track, water, and ice play a major role, the energy and support from the crowd are just as important in creating a memorable fan experience. By encouraging students to show up, cheer, and participate, WooCru hopes to build a stronger sense of community around Holy Cross athletics.
Featured image courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics
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