My Crest, My City: Philadelphia

One jacket, 28 crests, endless stories. Over the course of the MLS season, we will be shipping a custom jacket to creators across North America to highlight the diverse and vibrant soccer cultures of various destinations in MLS with the help of Participation Trophy Studio. 

As the grassroots soccer community in the U.S. continues to grow coast-to-coast, we are seeing the emergence of exciting creative talent searching for opportunities to break into the world of soccer. This project allows us to showcase emerging creatives through shoots with an exclusive “MLS” themed coach’s jacket. The 1/1 jacket, created by Participation Trophy Studio, is a classic black coach’s jacket decorated with patches from every MLS club. The jacket will travel from city to city and be worn by local models in kits from each respective city.

For our third installment, we caught up with Philly-based photojournalist Colleen Claggett to talk about the inspiration behind her project in her city.

How did you get started with photography? 

I started back in fifth grade with a little $60 pink point-and-shoot camera. Then I found a better camera that my mom had, so I started shooting on it, and then throughout middle school, I got really into photography. It was teaching myself how to use it, and it just kind of went from there. I ended up joining my yearbook in high school and really liked shooting sports and events. Then in college, I knew I wanted to do something with it more than just as a hobby. 

Did you ever shoot soccer games when you were in high school or college?

The funny thing is that the Union was the first time I ever shot soccer. I had shot every other sport. My first experience covering soccer was June 8th, 2019. Union versus New York Red Bulls. It was wild to go from never shooting soccer to then shooting professional soccer off the bat. 

What do you remember most from that transition to shooting soccer and the Union, specifically? 

In the first game, I was just trying to get my bearings. I walked into the stadium, and I had no idea where I was supposed to be going. I was just figuring this out with all these other professionals around me who knew what they're doing. I just remember taking photos of everything -- the whole atmosphere, the audience, the fans. It was a really cool experience. 

How does soccer compare to other sports you’ve covered?

Soccer is one of my favorite sports to shoot now because of how fast-paced it is. I love how it's constant, and there aren’t as many breaks. I’ve covered football, and it’s just slower.

What’s your favorite memory from covering a Union game?

The obvious answer is when they won the Supporters' Shield. But I don't know if I have a specific favorite memory aside from that. I think the atmosphere of being there, week in and week out, is special because of the setting. The stadium is on the river next to a bridge, and it’s an open stadium, so there's always a sunset during night games. Then the fans are always so high-energy, and every time I'm there, I just take a moment to digest it all because it’s breathtaking. 

Did you feel the same while covering the Union during COVID-19?

One of my favorite memories during COVID shooting them was actually before they opened the stadium up to fans at all. They weren't letting in any fans, and it was just photographers in the stands. They were playing fan sounds over the speakers, which was really weird, but then I started hearing drums and seeing smoke coming from the corner of the venue. 

It was the Sons of Ben out there drumming and cheering from the corner right outside the stands. It was cool to see how dedicated these fans are to this sport and this team, just to still be at these games and have some presence there. 

You mention dedication from these fans to the sport and to the Union. How did you look to translate those emotions into your project for My Crest, My City?

Philly fans are known for being very passionate, but the city is generally -- at least in the mainstream -- known for the Eagles, Flyers, and Sixers. MLS and the Union might not be quite as known, but there is still such a huge presence around the city, and I wanted to highlight that. It’s growing. So I wanted to take photos around the city showing that the Union are here and here to stay. 

What locations did you choose to highlight that Union presence that does exist around the city? 

I was trying to go for iconic Philly locations. The Union play in Chester, which is unlike all the other sports teams from the city. But I wanted to really show that they still have a presence throughout Philly, which is why I chose iconic locations in the city.

I photographed my model getting off the subway and at City Hall. We went out and took photos in the middle of the road, and we got people voicing their support for the Union from their cars and everything.  

Then we took some shots at Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where a lot of festivals are held and parades that lead to the art museum. So we walked all along the Parkway and took photos there and then finished at the art museum, which has the iconic Rocky steps, of course. I think that fits well, especially after a season where the Union went the distance and got the Supporters’ Shield. 

Speaking of how well the team has done recently, what’s your favorite thing about the Union as a club? You’ve covered them for nearly two years now.

They feel very genuine. I've noticed in a lot of games that they are very much a team. Not just by their roster but by their friendships. Almost every time a player scores, they all run to the players who are warming up on the side instead of going off into the camera or something like that. Their interactions just all feel very genuine, and it’s the same with their fans. 

During the pandemic, when the Sons of Ben would cheer from outside the stadium, the players would walk up to the gates after every single game to go thank them. They also come up to talk with photographers sometimes. I just feel like they're very real, and they're very genuine. 

So we’ve talked about the fans, we’ve talked about the city, and we’ve talked about the team. What do you think of the crest?

I find the crest really interesting because the whole crest and the name of the team are very closely tied to the history of Philly. Philadelphia itself is a very historic city. I mean, we have the Liberty Bell and the Constitution Center and everything. The crest and the name do a good job of giving a nod to the city’s history. 

The crest itself has 13 stars representing the 13 original colonies. Then it has a blue stripe in the back to represent the Sons of Ben and to pay homage to them. It also has the snake on it, which is very Philly. It’s a tribute to Benjamin Franklin’s famous ‘join or die’ political cartoon. And I think that’s awesome because I feel like the whole ‘join or die’ thing speaks to the passion of Philly sports fans. I love it.

Make sure to check out Colleen’s work, and keep an eye out for the next edition of My Crest, My City coming next month.

Photography by Colleen Claggett.

Model: Tina Flood.

Jacket: Participation Trophy Studio