stevenpiziks (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stevenpiziks) wrote2010-09-11 12:08 am
stevenpiziks) wrote2010-09-11 12:08 am
Entry tags:
The Football Outing
Today was the Big Crosstown Rivalry Game between Nameless High and Sasha High. (Cue scary music.) In all my years at Wherever Schools, I never attended any sport events because I lived an hour away, and the idea of driving two hours for a high school game was not my idea of a good time.
However, things have changed. 1) I'm only a few minutes away from the school, and 2) I'm in dire need of inexpensive entertainment that gets the boys out of the house. Family season athletic passes for teachers are very inexpensive, so I bought one. Now we can all get into any home event we want.
When I told the boys this evening was a football game night, a big battle between Sasha's school and mine, I was met with groans. Sasha and Maksim didn't want to go at all. "You can take Aran, Dad," Sasha said. "I'll babysit Maksim."
Uh huh. They just wanted computer time. "We're going," I said, "whether you want to or not."
After supper, I piled everyone into the van, despite a major tantrum from Maksim and severe pouting from Sasha. And off we went.
Many people told me that to get decent seats for this game, you need to arrive an hour before kickoff, which is what we did. We got good seats in the steel bleachers on the Nameless side. Sasha was suddenly taken with a bout of school spirit (or perhaps it was assertion of independence) and want to sit on the Sasha High side. I let him go.
The weather was perfect--sunny and warm, with a hint of autumn crispness. After the sun set, it became a bit chilly, but I had insisted everyone bring a sweatshirt and jacket. Maksim and Sasha tried to leave theirs at home because "it's warm outside," and then were glad of them after sunset. See? Dad knows what he's talking about.
The cheerleaders and pom-pon squad did some routines before the game, and the players warmed up on the field. I explained the basic rules to Aran and Mackie, who were total newbies. Aran thought the pom-pon squad was just splendid.
At last the game began. Nameless received the kick and ran all the way for a touchdown within the first fifteen seconds. A great start, and all the cheering got Mackie and Aran into the game. Both sides of the stadium were packed.
At half time, the marching band performed, to Aran and Mackie's delight. Sasha, meanwhile, watched the game from the Sasha High side, then emigrated to the Nameless side to site with us, then wandered back again. I know one reason he was reluctant to go was his experience at two Willow Run games. At both, severe fights broke out, and the police had to lock down the football field until they could deal with the situation. Sasha was convinced the same would happen here, though I assured him it wouldn't. Eventually, when he saw no fights or other violence on the horizon, he began to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.
The boys were getting hungry, so after the band and cheerleaders finished, we headed to the concession area for a snack. It was extremely crowded. Mackie and Aran wanted ice cream, which was in a separate line, so we got that first, then got into the main concession line. Sasha met us there. But the stand was running out of food. First they announced they were out of hamburgers. Then they announced they were out of everything but hot dogs, chips, and some candy. When I got to the front with Sasha, intending to buy two hot dogs, they only had one hot dog left. (!) I gave it to Sasha and contented myself with chips and candy.
When we got back to our seats, we discovered that Nameless was losing 7-42. (!) A while later, it was 7-49. Oi!
The boys were getting tired and chilly, so we played fair weather fans and slid out at four minutes on the clock to beat traffic. Got home at 10:00 and got Mackie into bed.
It was a really good boys' evening out.
However, things have changed. 1) I'm only a few minutes away from the school, and 2) I'm in dire need of inexpensive entertainment that gets the boys out of the house. Family season athletic passes for teachers are very inexpensive, so I bought one. Now we can all get into any home event we want.
When I told the boys this evening was a football game night, a big battle between Sasha's school and mine, I was met with groans. Sasha and Maksim didn't want to go at all. "You can take Aran, Dad," Sasha said. "I'll babysit Maksim."
Uh huh. They just wanted computer time. "We're going," I said, "whether you want to or not."
After supper, I piled everyone into the van, despite a major tantrum from Maksim and severe pouting from Sasha. And off we went.
Many people told me that to get decent seats for this game, you need to arrive an hour before kickoff, which is what we did. We got good seats in the steel bleachers on the Nameless side. Sasha was suddenly taken with a bout of school spirit (or perhaps it was assertion of independence) and want to sit on the Sasha High side. I let him go.
The weather was perfect--sunny and warm, with a hint of autumn crispness. After the sun set, it became a bit chilly, but I had insisted everyone bring a sweatshirt and jacket. Maksim and Sasha tried to leave theirs at home because "it's warm outside," and then were glad of them after sunset. See? Dad knows what he's talking about.
The cheerleaders and pom-pon squad did some routines before the game, and the players warmed up on the field. I explained the basic rules to Aran and Mackie, who were total newbies. Aran thought the pom-pon squad was just splendid.
At last the game began. Nameless received the kick and ran all the way for a touchdown within the first fifteen seconds. A great start, and all the cheering got Mackie and Aran into the game. Both sides of the stadium were packed.
At half time, the marching band performed, to Aran and Mackie's delight. Sasha, meanwhile, watched the game from the Sasha High side, then emigrated to the Nameless side to site with us, then wandered back again. I know one reason he was reluctant to go was his experience at two Willow Run games. At both, severe fights broke out, and the police had to lock down the football field until they could deal with the situation. Sasha was convinced the same would happen here, though I assured him it wouldn't. Eventually, when he saw no fights or other violence on the horizon, he began to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.
The boys were getting hungry, so after the band and cheerleaders finished, we headed to the concession area for a snack. It was extremely crowded. Mackie and Aran wanted ice cream, which was in a separate line, so we got that first, then got into the main concession line. Sasha met us there. But the stand was running out of food. First they announced they were out of hamburgers. Then they announced they were out of everything but hot dogs, chips, and some candy. When I got to the front with Sasha, intending to buy two hot dogs, they only had one hot dog left. (!) I gave it to Sasha and contented myself with chips and candy.
When we got back to our seats, we discovered that Nameless was losing 7-42. (!) A while later, it was 7-49. Oi!
The boys were getting tired and chilly, so we played fair weather fans and slid out at four minutes on the clock to beat traffic. Got home at 10:00 and got Mackie into bed.
It was a really good boys' evening out.