LEWISTON – It may have been easy Monday to overlook Mark Just sitting in the stands at the Central Maine Civic Center.

Dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, Just sat near the top, removed from almost everyone else who gathered to watch the Lewiston Maineiacs’ first practice. In his hands were roster notes for the 60 players in uniform for the first day of training camp.

Most of the fans and family members of players might easily overlook Just, but not the coaches and general manager, and certainly not the athletes.

Just owns a majority share of the team, and he is on site this week to have some input into what the makeup of the team might be.

“I’ll be here this week, and probably for half of the home games this season,” said Just, who is based out of Chicago. “It’s important with kids this age that the team is like a family for them. In a family, everything trickles down from the top. In this case, that’s me. If I don’t seem to care, if I don’t get involved, than that feeling, that lack of participation, gets passed down.”

Just agreed only to be interviewed between practice sessions during the morning skate, and with good reason.

“I have certain goals and perceptions of how this organization should run, and I want to make sure that those goals are achieved,” said Just. “With me, seeing is believing, and to be here makes me more confident that some things will get done.”

As far as the way things are coming together, Just is impressed with the building and the progress of the renovations.

“This building is a combination of the ambiance of the old building with the good amenities of the new building. As far as aesthetics are concerned, the building is going to be great for spectators, but it will still have that charm that the old building had,” he said.

And the fans, Just said, is what the game is all about.

“We came to Lewiston in the first place because we saw in this community people that will embrace the game and the players,” said Just. “Unfortunately, where we relocated from, it almost seemed like they regarded the team as a birthright, and they stopped going to all of the games, figuring it would always be there.

“At the same time, though, we have to do our part to make sure we earn the respect and the support of the community. We want this to be what people talk about on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons in this area.”

jpelletier@sunjournal.com

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