When a visiting team arrives on game day, you might imagine they have some level of dread at they step onto the pitch: They’re playing on their opponent’s home turf, their fans are likely outnumbered in the stands, and – depending how far they’ve come – they might only have a few people cheering for them as they give it their all.
That won’t be the experience for the seven visiting teams at the 2025 U Sports Women’s Soccer Championship, hosted by McMaster University from Nov. 6-9 – because each university has a surprise legion of fans in the form of elementary school children, cheering loudly from the stands and waving homemade flags, signs, jerseys and more.
On Nov. 6 and 7, throughout the quarterfinals, 2,000 elementary students from Hamilton schools will be coming to McMaster to watch the games.
And these were no fair-weather fans – the kids had been tracking the competition and the participating schools for weeks, through a custom curriculum designed by Samantha Cyrille, graduate intern and Varsity Administration & EDI Coordinator in McMaster’s Athletics & Recreation Department.
Cyrille has been working on the curriculum, called The Extended Classroom, since June.
The goal was to try and make the experience of nationals feel like playing at home for the non-McMaster teams, Cyrille said, while engaging with the Hamilton students.
The Extended Classroom provided curriculum resources like morning meeting slides, journal prompts, word searches, and a document full of curriculum connections to help the teachers and students connect with the championship. They also sent out weekly standings updates to the teachers for each conference so they could follow along the whole season.
Additionally, they created a Spirit Challenge, inviting students to create posters, player cards, design jerseys, and other creative fan art. The class with the most points got to escort the players onto the field.
Students created posters, player cards, design jerseys, and other creative fan art for the Spirit Challenge.
The kids made cards for the entire McMaster women’s soccer team, their student field therapists, coaches, and — of course — the Marauder mascot.
And visiting teams got the same star treatment – art in their room to welcome them, along with a note explaining where it had all come from.
“Although it was slightly hectic upon arrival, it was worth it,” said Cyrille. “The stands are full… we have around 2,000 students, staff and volunteers here to support and cheer all of these athletes on.”
The athletes are on the best university women’s soccer teams in the country – coming from the University of British Columbia, University of Montréal, University of Toronto, Cape Breton University, Laval University, Trinity Western University, University of Guelph, and of course, McMaster – all competing for the championship title.
Central Elementary teacher Mark Sinke’s Grade 4 class won the spirit challenge and got to escort the players onto the field. They walked out with the Laval and Cape Breton teams at the Thursday quarterfinal match, a moment that Sinke’s class had been looking forward to for weeks.
“When they got to see some of the players and meet them, they shook hands… they were very proud,” Sinke said.
He had to yell to make himself heard over the roar of hundreds of little fans with big voices. Even at half time, the roar of the crowd might make you think the match was still in full swing.
Many of his students were wearing Central Cyclone jerseys over their sweaters and jackets. Some were holding up poster-board size signs in CBU Capers green and smaller squares of paper in the same shade – eagerly hoping for an autograph. Another class from their school came up with a French cheer for Laval.
Students created posters, player cards, design jerseys, and other creative fan art.
“It’s hard for schools to find experiences that are affordable, accessible, and engaging for the kids,” Sinke said. “So for them to come here and see the university players… it’s aspirational for many of them.”
“Many of them said they’d now want to be a player on a team, they want to go to McMaster, and they’re very excited about the whole atmosphere,” Sinke said. “Everyone’s cheering, seeing themselves on the big screen. It’s a big deal for them.”
Each kid got a future Marauder sticker and a thank-you note from the Athletics department.
“Research shows that early exposure to university environments can have a tremendous impact on a young person’s decision to pursue post-secondary education,” said Ebunoluwa (EB) Soneye, Student and Community Engagement Coordinator. “This initiative is one of the ways we’re building stronger connections within the Hamilton community.”
After the tournament, they’ll be sending athletes into the schools, to thank them for attending. They also plan to collect feedback about their experience.
No matter how the women’s soccer team performs over the next few days, the Marauders will be remembered for teaching their opponents, and 2,000 screaming young fans, that everyone is welcome at Mac.