PAPILLION, Neb. (KMTV) — What would you do for your favorite teams?
Buy a jersey? Get front row seats? Maybe even a tattoo?
A Papillion family is so passionate about Omaha Mavericks hockey they asked a friend to paint a mural in their home.
But their love for the team and school extends beyond the results on the ice.
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- Brent Bean and his wife Alexis Sharkey are dedicated Omaha hockey fans who have attended nearly every home game since Baxter arena opened in 2015, when they were students at UNO.
- They asked a friend to paint Omaha hockey-themed murals in both homes they’ve lived in to celebrate their connection to a team and university that has an important role in their lives.
- The couple says the hockey team and its fans have created a strong sense of community, which is a major factor in why they’ve continued to attend games and support the school.
A nationally-recognized hockey program was a big factor in Brent Bean's college selection.
He started watching hockey when he was young.
"At the old No Frills in La Vista, they used to hand out discounted tickets to go, and they were like $10 so my mom would always take me,” Bean said.
"I don't know what clicked but it was just something so awesome."
He and his wife Alexis Sharkey got student tickets for Omaha hockey when Baxter Arena opened in 2015.
They also worked the player parking lot before games.
“We got to meet so many of the guys,” Bean said. “It took our experience in college to another level because we got to know so many of them and we still interact with them to this day. It's so cool to know we were a very small part of their experience playing Omaha hockey."
Ten years later, they still have season passes and have been in the crowd at nearly every Mavs home game.
"There's so much community connection with the team,” Bean said. ”You get to meet the team after the game.”
“(They’re) just so genuinely friendly, (the team) wants to be included and invested,” Sharkey said.
"Good people, good players,” Bean added.
In their first home, they wanted to make use of a blank wall.
Hence, a mural.
And when they moved earlier this year, they knew they wanted a new one to incorporate not only a team, but a school that made a mark on their lives.
Their friend, Lily Ackman, painted both, spending dozens of hours fine-tuning the details.
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"It's just something cool, and a little more inclusive I feel like,” Sharkey said. “Whereas the last one was very hockey-focused, I really like the opportunity to kind of include more of what's important and surrounds us."
And they're passing their love of Omaha and hockey on to their daughter, Kenzie.
"She is as much of a fan as I am now,” Bean said.
"Once hockey ends, she'll be like 'Are we going to hockey?'” Sharkey said.
To them, Omaha hockey is more than a sports team.
It’s community.
"It's home,” Bean said. “There's so much more than people think it is. It's such an amazing place. It's very special.”
