Arthur Magic
October 24th, 2023
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Seven-year-old Arthur Erwin may be an only child, but in his eyes, he has 24 sisters.
Arthur’s ‘sisters’ are the Virginia Tech softball team, a group who has rallied behind his cheers of ‘Let’s Go…’ from right behind home plate at every Hokies home game.
“Arthur considers all of the players, his sisters,” Chip Grubb, longtime superfan for Hokies softball, and writer for Tech Sideline said.
Arthur has not only taken to the sport but is involved in every aspect of the team.
“There’s an NCAA rule that Coach D’Amour and other coaches can’t contact high school juniors until September 1,” Grubb said. “On September 1, he looked at his mom and said ‘Mom, big day for Coach Pete, it’s when he can reach out and find me some new sisters.”
Along with being a staple at Tech Softball Park, Arthur also travels for some of Tech’s bigger road games - including road trips to South Bend for a big series with Notre Dame and the ACC Softball Tournament in Pittsburgh.
His support for the softball team extends well beyond the diamond. Arthur sports Virginia Tech apparel with chants of ‘Go Hokies,’ up and down the halls of UVA Health University Hospital where he attends physical therapy - deep within enemy territory for the die-hard Hokie.
The rivalry runs deep for Arthur, who’s doctors use his despise for the Wahoos to motivate him to complete tasks.
“One of the things they want Arthur to do is to walk down the hallway by himself, unassisted, and it’s a challenge,” Grubb said. “The UVA doctors are so great. They incentivize him by saying ‘Alright Arthur, if you can walk to me, I’ll say, ‘Let’s go Hokies’, and you know I hate saying, ‘Let’s go Hokies.’’”
Arthur has his own opinions about his doctor’s strategies.
“I go to therapy there, and every single time I go there, my therapist Mark says ‘go Hoos’” Arthur said before scoffing in disgust.
Arthur was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at birth and has faced the challenges that accompany it. It’s a disorder that includes the weakness of muscle and, in Arthur’s case, primarily using a wheelchair to get around.
For Head Coach Pete D’Amour, the support from the young fan means everything to his team. “Fan engagement is big in any sport, so to have Arthur be able to do that and be enthusiastic about it, it gets our blood pumping,” D’Amour said.
D’Amour uses Arthur as an example to the entire team of what it means to be a Hokie.
“He’s like a player for us. His demeanor is one we hope to have from all of our players. Whether you’re having a good day or a bad day you come out here and perform, and Arthur performs.”
Arthur’s fandom began nearly three years ago, when his parents took him to a game and the then-five-year-old caught the eye of D’Amour. The Hokies’ skipper marched out of the dugout and gifted him a signed softball from Tech’s ace, Keely Rochard, and thanked him for his support.
That took the fan, to a superfan. Grubb quickly took to Arthur and created the partnership that leads the crowd in the ‘Let’s Go… Hokies’ chant every game in the middle of the first inning.
“I asked Arthur if he wanted to do the cheer, so we got down front and we did the cheer together, and that has become an Arthur tradition since then,” Grubb said. “My job is to get everybody’s attention, and then Arthur leads the cheer by himself.”
Grubb and Arthur have been the perfect duo for the Hokies, providing a boost when they need it most.
“We call it ‘Arthur Magic,’” Grubb said. “There have been a number of times where we do the cheer together, and low and behold the Hokies score a few runs, and pull out the win”.
Arthur Magic was on full display, in one of Virginia Tech’s biggest moments in recent history. In the 2022 NCAA Tournament Blacksburg Regional, the Hokies fell early to the University of Kentucky in the double elimination format.
“Arthur had come to the game without his Keely Rochard shirt,” Grubb said. “He made his mom and dad go home and get his ‘Keel’s Deals’ shirt and come back, and of course we swept through the rest of the regional games.”
The Hokies went on to win the regional to advance to the team’s first Super Regional appearance in team history.
Despite being wheelchair bound with Cerebral Palsy, the disorder doesn’t define him, nor his fandom of Tech softball.
“It so happens that Arthur’s in a wheelchair with Cerebral Palsy, but I don’t think he even thinks about that,” Grubb said.
One thing’s for sure, when Arthur is rolled into Tech Softball Park with his custom jersey or letterman’s jacket, visiting teams beware - because the Hokies’ superfan has just arrived in style, and is making waves, one cheer at a time.
Arthur’s ‘sisters’ are the Virginia Tech softball team, a group who has rallied behind his cheers of ‘Let’s Go…’ from right behind home plate at every Hokies home game.
“Arthur considers all of the players, his sisters,” Chip Grubb, longtime superfan for Hokies softball, and writer for Tech Sideline said.
Arthur has not only taken to the sport but is involved in every aspect of the team.
“There’s an NCAA rule that Coach D’Amour and other coaches can’t contact high school juniors until September 1,” Grubb said. “On September 1, he looked at his mom and said ‘Mom, big day for Coach Pete, it’s when he can reach out and find me some new sisters.”
Along with being a staple at Tech Softball Park, Arthur also travels for some of Tech’s bigger road games - including road trips to South Bend for a big series with Notre Dame and the ACC Softball Tournament in Pittsburgh.
His support for the softball team extends well beyond the diamond. Arthur sports Virginia Tech apparel with chants of ‘Go Hokies,’ up and down the halls of UVA Health University Hospital where he attends physical therapy - deep within enemy territory for the die-hard Hokie.
The rivalry runs deep for Arthur, who’s doctors use his despise for the Wahoos to motivate him to complete tasks.
“One of the things they want Arthur to do is to walk down the hallway by himself, unassisted, and it’s a challenge,” Grubb said. “The UVA doctors are so great. They incentivize him by saying ‘Alright Arthur, if you can walk to me, I’ll say, ‘Let’s go Hokies’, and you know I hate saying, ‘Let’s go Hokies.’’”
Arthur has his own opinions about his doctor’s strategies.
“I go to therapy there, and every single time I go there, my therapist Mark says ‘go Hoos’” Arthur said before scoffing in disgust.
Arthur was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at birth and has faced the challenges that accompany it. It’s a disorder that includes the weakness of muscle and, in Arthur’s case, primarily using a wheelchair to get around.
For Head Coach Pete D’Amour, the support from the young fan means everything to his team. “Fan engagement is big in any sport, so to have Arthur be able to do that and be enthusiastic about it, it gets our blood pumping,” D’Amour said.
D’Amour uses Arthur as an example to the entire team of what it means to be a Hokie.
“He’s like a player for us. His demeanor is one we hope to have from all of our players. Whether you’re having a good day or a bad day you come out here and perform, and Arthur performs.”
Arthur’s fandom began nearly three years ago, when his parents took him to a game and the then-five-year-old caught the eye of D’Amour. The Hokies’ skipper marched out of the dugout and gifted him a signed softball from Tech’s ace, Keely Rochard, and thanked him for his support.
That took the fan, to a superfan. Grubb quickly took to Arthur and created the partnership that leads the crowd in the ‘Let’s Go… Hokies’ chant every game in the middle of the first inning.
“I asked Arthur if he wanted to do the cheer, so we got down front and we did the cheer together, and that has become an Arthur tradition since then,” Grubb said. “My job is to get everybody’s attention, and then Arthur leads the cheer by himself.”
Grubb and Arthur have been the perfect duo for the Hokies, providing a boost when they need it most.
“We call it ‘Arthur Magic,’” Grubb said. “There have been a number of times where we do the cheer together, and low and behold the Hokies score a few runs, and pull out the win”.
Arthur Magic was on full display, in one of Virginia Tech’s biggest moments in recent history. In the 2022 NCAA Tournament Blacksburg Regional, the Hokies fell early to the University of Kentucky in the double elimination format.
“Arthur had come to the game without his Keely Rochard shirt,” Grubb said. “He made his mom and dad go home and get his ‘Keel’s Deals’ shirt and come back, and of course we swept through the rest of the regional games.”
The Hokies went on to win the regional to advance to the team’s first Super Regional appearance in team history.
Despite being wheelchair bound with Cerebral Palsy, the disorder doesn’t define him, nor his fandom of Tech softball.
“It so happens that Arthur’s in a wheelchair with Cerebral Palsy, but I don’t think he even thinks about that,” Grubb said.
One thing’s for sure, when Arthur is rolled into Tech Softball Park with his custom jersey or letterman’s jacket, visiting teams beware - because the Hokies’ superfan has just arrived in style, and is making waves, one cheer at a time.
