Minor Leagues,

Major Heart

Chucktown's most committed fans

BY MADISON HARTMAN
 

Charleston is not Atlanta. There are no NFL, NHL or MLB teams to speak of in the Lowcountry, but that doesn’t stop Charlestonians from loving their local teams, and love them they do.
     Charleston has three pro or semi-pro sports teams: the Charleston Battery (soccer), South Carolina Stingrays (hockey) and Charleston RiverDogs (baseball). Each squad possesses a group of hardcore fans that cheer just as loud, celebrate just as hard and agonize just as passionately as fans that follow the majors.
     The Battery, a member of the United Soccer League’s professional division, is supported by The Regiment. This group of the team’s most devoted fans sits in the same section, E10, during each match.
     The Regiment, a members-only group, is akin to a crowd of fans for a European soccer team, but on a smaller scale. Members sport jerseys, wave scarves and harass the other team mercilessly throughout the match.
     Mike Buytas, president of The Regiment, explains what makes the Battery experience unique. “The cool thing about here in Charleston is you can really get to know the players personally, so it makes it a little more interesting when they move up and you can follow their careers and success,” he says.
     On average, Buytas estimates the group hosts 30 to 50 people per game but would like to see improvements in the organization.
     “We’re still working on organizing our chants better instead of just whoever’s the drunkest and loudest starting, out of tune or whatever," he says. "We’re always looking for people who want to come over and lend a voice or help out. They don’t have to be Regiment members; they can just come by and enjoy a beer with us and stand up and not have to worry about what they say or offending somebody else. It’s pretty PG-13 over there at a minimum.”