Dan Hirsch, a resident of Orange, CA, stood off to the side of the entrance to Championship Soccer Stadium with his daughter, Audrey, and his twin boys, Benjamin and Samuel. He waited for his wife, Stacy, and their eldest daughter, Lily, to arrive before entering the stadium. It was a weekday game in early June and the family came in two cars since some of the kids had soccer training in Lake Forest that ended in time for them to catch the final minutes of warmups.
The stadium was already buzzing as many fans had arrived early for the first in a series of “Dollar Beers & Cheap Eats” nights that included free tacos to the first 500 fans from Rubios and celebrity chef Richard Blais. Despite their last-minute arrival, the Hirsch family was decked out in their Orange County Soccer Club (OCSC) gear and watched the sunset over the pitch from their seats in Section 10 as OCSC faced off against San Diego Loyal SC.
“Most home games are on Saturdays and we always have the calendar marked knowing this is what we’re going to do,” Dan said. “This is a rare night where the kids have training, but we always come out to games.”
The Hirsch family have been OCSC season ticket holders since the 2019 season, though their introduction to the club came during the previous season when the team made it to the USL Western Conference Finals.
“It was the team manager from my daughter’s soccer team that offered us tickets and it happened to be one of the last few games of the season,” Dan said. “We went to that game and the atmosphere was safe and great so we wanted to come back for the next game since it was going to be a big game. We kept coming through the playoffs, then we got season tickets which were affordable.”
Alongside the free parking for everyone, their impressions of the stadium experience are that no matter where people sit they will be in close proximity to the high quality of play in a family-friendly environment.
“You are always close to the athletes compared to bigger stadiums,” Stacy said. “As a mom, the thing I like is that I know my kids are going to be safe when going to the bathroom or getting food in the stadium with their friends because it is easy to navigate and know where they are.”
Since the game against San Diego was one of the last matches with limited capacity due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a majority of Hirsch's row was taped off except for two seats right next to them. Stacy explained that they required six tickets but also got two extra tickets allowing them to always invite other people, whether they be their kids’ friends or the friends’ parents.
Not only do their friends notice the family-oriented aspect of the gameday experience, but also that the stadium is in a central location where it can be just a 20-to-30 minute drive from the most northern and southern cities of Orange County. This allows Dan to connect the OCSC experience to how soccer teams in Europe are built around a community, in this case, a whole county.
“This is our hometown team and for my kids, who play soccer, this is an important and big deal to them,” Dan said. “We can say that OCSC is our team.”
With the soccer community continuing to grow, the Hirsch family takes a sense of pride in being able to live this experience with other people.
“It is really cool to be at the grassroots level of this, like to be a part of it from the beginning,” Stacy said. “We know all the cheers and chants that the supporter's group [County Line Coalition] sings. There are families that we have been sitting around for three seasons and to see their little kids growing up with our kids is really neat in this great environment.”
All four kids play soccer for local clubs OC Surf and West Coast Elite, the latter of which is part of OCSC’s Youth Soccer Network. The Hirsch kids take extra notice of play on the pitch and learn from what they see so they can learn for themselves to benefit their own budding soccer careers.
Dan Hirsch, a resident of Orange, CA, stood off to the side of the entrance to Championship Soccer Stadium with his daughter, Audrey, and his twin boys, Benjamin and Samuel. He waited for his wife, Stacy, and their eldest daughter, Lily, to arrive before entering the stadium. It was a weekday game in early June and the family came in two cars since some of the kids had soccer training in Lake Forest that ended in time for them to catch the final minutes of warmups.
The stadium was already buzzing as many fans had arrived early for the first in a series of “Dollar Beers & Cheap Eats” nights that included free tacos to the first 500 fans from Rubios and celebrity chef Richard Blais. Despite their last-minute arrival, the Hirsch family was decked out in their Orange County Soccer Club (OCSC) gear and watched the sunset over the pitch from their seats in Section 10 as OCSC faced off against San Diego Loyal SC.
“Most home games are on Saturdays and we always have the calendar marked knowing this is what we’re going to do,” Dan said. “This is a rare night where the kids have training, but we always come out to games.”
The Hirsch family have been OCSC season ticket holders since the 2019 season, though their introduction to the club came during the previous season when the team made it to the USL Western Conference Finals.
“It was the team manager from my daughter’s soccer team that offered us tickets and it happened to be one of the last few games of the season,” Dan said. “We went to that game and the atmosphere was safe and great so we wanted to come back for the next game since it was going to be a big game. We kept coming through the playoffs, then we got season tickets which were affordable.”
Alongside the free parking for everyone, their impressions of the stadium experience are that no matter where people sit they will be in close proximity to the high quality of play in a family-friendly environment.
“You are always close to the athletes compared to bigger stadiums,” Stacy said. “As a mom, the thing I like is that I know my kids are going to be safe when going to the bathroom or getting food in the stadium with their friends because it is easy to navigate and know where they are.”
Since the game against San Diego was one of the last matches with limited capacity due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a majority of Hirsch’s row was taped off except for two seats right next to them. Stacy explained that they required six tickets but also got two extra tickets allowing them to always invite other people, whether they be their kids’ friends or the friends’ parents.
Not only do their friends notice the family-oriented aspect of the gameday experience, but also that the stadium is in a central location where it can be just a 20-to-30 minute drive from the most northern and southern cities of Orange County. This allows Dan to connect the OCSC experience to how soccer teams in Europe are built around a community, in this case, a whole county.
“This is our hometown team and for my kids, who play soccer, this is an important and big deal to them,” Dan said. “We can say that OCSC is our team.”
With the soccer community continuing to grow, the Hirsch family takes a sense of pride in being able to live this experience with other people.
“It is really cool to be at the grassroots level of this, like to be a part of it from the beginning,” Stacy said. “We know all the cheers and chants that the supporter’s group [County Line Coalition] sings. There are families that we have been sitting around for three seasons and to see their little kids growing up with our kids is really neat in this great environment.”
All four kids play soccer for local clubs OC Surf and West Coast Elite, the latter of which is part of OCSC’s Youth Soccer Network. The Hirsch kids take extra notice of play on the pitch and learn from what they see so they can learn for themselves to benefit their own budding soccer careers.
“I like to watch how players play my position so I can get new ideas about what my [club] coach is telling me to improve on,” Audrey said.
For the younger Hirsch twins, they love coming to the games and seeing their favorite players such as goal-scoring machine Ronaldo Damus and the midfield enforcer Mikko Kuningas in action. Much to the twins’ delight, Damus scored a game-tying goal in the second half in the 1-1 draw.
“You’re never too old to come out to a family event, especially if you love the sport,” Lily said. “It’s fun to just sit with them and have a conversation about what is going on.”
After not attending matches during the pandemic-stricken year, the Hirsch family looks forward to returning to the stadium to support their local professional soccer team along with other families and fans.
“These are our first family nights out since COVID-19 started and going to sporting events is our normal,” Dan said. “It is really comfortable and just a beautiful environment. It is the perfect way to spend a spring and summer evening, where everything is affordable with the entertainment and food trucks.”
Experiences like those of the Hirsch family are consistent with the efforts of OCSC throughout the regular season that are part of “The NEW Family Game Night”. Tailored to support family fun and draw fans of all ages from all over the county, events include Saturday Fireworks Nights, Beer Fests, and the annual Fiesta de Fùtbol. For more information and to view the promotional schedule, click here.
“I like to watch how players play my position so I can get new ideas about what my [club] coach is telling me to improve on,” Audrey said.
For the younger Hirsch twins, they love coming to the games and seeing their favorite players such as goal-scoring machine Ronaldo Damus and the midfield enforcer Mikko Kuningas in action. Much to the twins’ delight, Damus scored a game-tying goal in the second half in the 1-1 draw.
“You’re never too old to come out to a family event, especially if you love the sport,” Lily said. “It’s fun to just sit with them and have a conversation about what is going on.”
After not attending matches during the pandemic-stricken year, the Hirsch family looks forward to returning to the stadium to support their local professional soccer team along with other families and fans.
“These are our first family nights out since COVID-19 started and going to sporting events is our normal,” Dan said. “It is really comfortable and just a beautiful environment. It is the perfect way to spend a spring and summer evening, where everything is affordable with the entertainment and food trucks.”
Experiences like those of the Hirsch family are consistent with the efforts of OCSC throughout the regular season that are part of “The NEW Family Game Night”. Tailored to support family fun and draw fans of all ages from all over the county, events include Saturday Fireworks Nights, Beer Fests, and the annual Fiesta de Fùtbol. For more information and to view the promotional schedule, click here.