Sports fans tend to get a bad reputation. There are many videos where fans are shown fighting each other, yelling cruel obscenities at referees and players, or even getting into altercations with athletes. Indiana softball fan Carol Copeland breaks that mold with her supportive passion for her daughter and the rest of the team. 

She began a tradition of passion for her daughter Brianna Copeland and IU which started in 2022 for Brianna’s first game as a Hoosier and even though she never got in, it didn’t stop her mother from cheering.  

“We were losing, and I just started cheering,” Copeland said. “One of the parents said that she appreciated me cheering for the team without my daughter even being in the game, but I’ve always been like that.” 

And from there the support only got stronger.  

She now brings signs and pom-poms to the game but most importantly, she energizes the crowd.  

From the first inning to the last, whether Indiana is up by 10 or down by 10, she will be loud and yell chants to get the rest of the fans involved. 

“If you are for a team, you should be for them whether they are winning or losing,” Copeland said. “The game is not over until it’s the seventh inning with three outs… that’s my mindset and that’s the mindset I want the players to have, that you can always win.” 

Carol’s support is all in the effort that the team will have belief. 

“Just the fans and me believing is not gonna help them out there on the field, they have to believe in themselves,” Carol said. “Sometimes I’ll say from the stands ‘Believe that you can do it, just believe that you can do it’.” 

Carol’s commitment to the team isn’t just based on her energy at the games but also the commitment she makes to get to the games. 

Carol still lives in Pelham, Alabama which is over a seven-hour drive from Bloomington, and she manages to attend nearly every game.  

“Man, she logs the miles, she’s putting in the work, and the time,” Indiana Head Coach Shonda Stanton said. “She gets in that car and whether it’s driving eight hours, or ten she’s gonna get the job done to be here and show up.” 

Carol is a dedicated fan of the entire organization but at the end of the day, she shows up to support her daughter. 

“She’s my child and I love her so of course I’m gonna support her,” Carol said. “Everybody can see I go to every game because of Brianna.” 

For Brianna it’s not about all the fancy cheers and special items she brings, it’s about her mother watching her play. 

“For me, it’s awesome just to have my mom there,” Brianna said. “Half the time I don’t ever see it, I just hear it, so it’s cool to just not even see but just like hear the movements she’s mad with the crowd and how everyone is behind her. 

Carol wants to continue to see her daughter succeed along with the rest of the team. When softball is eventually finished for Brianna, she’ll appreciate her daughter’s experiences. 

“I want her to continue to do well, I mean hit home runs and strike people out,” Carol said. “She may not get any offers to do anything after softball to continue in softball but we’ll be thankful for the time we had to play at Indiana University.”