it was a really, really fun match. one half they looked like an expansion franchise with an interim manager and the second half they looked like mid-00s Barcelona. Glad you and the family had a great time!
As for the main point of the article, that has been truly a fun thing to pass along is the brainwashing of sports teams. My twins know their North Florida affiliated rooting interests (Gators & Braves). We also added Liverpool FC which was not something I grew up watching, but have adopted. It has been fun teaching the cheers/chomps/etc.
I've commented this before, but I am hoping to raise my kids to appreciate the fun of sports culture more than I got growing up where my dad for lack of a better term was a Gator supremacist (only the Gators are good and have the best traditions/fanbase/etc). Where everybody the Gators play is some sort of rival. He is still irritated I have a LSU Homefield shirt.
Instead, I am teaching my kids about Wisconsin's "Jump Around" and having was them jump around before the 4th quarter when we had the Penn St./Wisconsin matchup. They know to say "Gig Em" with the hand gesture when Texas A&M was playing Bama. I think this will prove to be more healthy for them and is in no small part because of reading EDSBS for all those years and listening to the Fullcast now. That lets me laugh at unexplainable Todd Grantham losses where we gave up nearly 300 yards to a backup running back.
I will say that they are 5 now and this is the first season where they have an idea of what is going on and showing them the highlights the next morning of Freddie Freeman clinching the NL Divisional Series against the Brewers was something special. It was a kind of circle of life moment because of me also doing that with my dad when I was their age. I will say got a little lump in my throat like I had just read one of these articles :)
The match on Saturday was great. After watching them struggle to score for much of the season it was a pleasant surprise to see them finish so well, especially since they were several players down.
This was also a bit of a revenge game. The last time they played the Pride one of their players took out Nadia Nadim, Racing’s best player, which resulted in her tearing an ACL. Racing’s win also knocked the Pride out of playoff contention.
This can backfire on you, as my 10 y/o now does the sports equivalent of making me watch Minecraft videos that I don't understand, except it's just highlights I've already seen several times on Twitter. But it's still a win.
We have a collegiate summer league team nearby. When I was first introducing my kids to baseball, we'd go for the first three innings (roughly their attention span) and stop at Baskin-Robbins on the way home. At five bucks for an adult and zero for the kids, this is a lot lower stress way to introduce your children to baseball, than a trip to Baltimore (at the time) that costs $TEXAS. I knew we were finally getting somewhere when they didn't want to leave one night because they wanted to find out who wins. But even I couldn't justify turning my kids into fans of the DERTROIT BEISBOLCATS. We're supposed to want better for our children, right?
You definitely nailed the appeal of soccer matches for a dad with young kids. 2 hour matches are a plus, but even more, as you said the atmosphere is much better. Pro football and even college football for bigger games has been somewhat toxic (at least here in Gainesville).
Do I need to take my kids to a game in the Swamp for them to hear 20 somethings chant "F$&% Joe Biden!"? Do I need to worry about drunken fights breaking out for no reason around them?
No thanks, I'll pass for awhile until they're older.
In my 4+ years of starting to follow soccer more closely I have found both online and in-person the American soccer community has been much more supportive and healthy when watching games. We have gone to the Liverpool bar here in Gainesville for bigger matches with rival fans also there and it was enjoyable. People having a good time and just cheering for their team instead of being confrontational and obnoxious. To be fair, baseball for the most part also has that feel, even Major League Baseball. That is the kind of sports environment I want them to experience and take with them.
If you're willing to take the risk on the Cardinals (and make the kids take a side in this state's civil war) may I recommend baseball? The Cardinals actually are a top ten team most years, have hosted regionals and super regionals, and non-conference games are usually free. Besides, there's a top notch playground right next to a train track.
My deepest sports devotion is to the Carolina Panthers, which is really unfortunate. Not sure what to do with the little one. Fresh off really dumb losses to bad teams I have little motivation to expose her to such a sorry team. I can't quit them, but maybe I can stop the spread.
> I will not dare risk tainting their young minds with Louisville Cardinal athletics.
Exposing small children to #goacc is illegal in 37 states and the District of Columbia, so it's best to be careful at all times.
Actual conversation from this Saturday:
6yo: "Which one's your team again, Daddy?"
Me: "The Hokies. The ones with the 'VT' on their helmets
6yo (little hand pats my back): "I'm sorry your team isn't very good, Daddy."
Me: "Thanks, Sweetie."
Going to have to wait a few years before I introduce then to Hokie fandom lest I be reported to Child Services.
it was a really, really fun match. one half they looked like an expansion franchise with an interim manager and the second half they looked like mid-00s Barcelona. Glad you and the family had a great time!
As for the main point of the article, that has been truly a fun thing to pass along is the brainwashing of sports teams. My twins know their North Florida affiliated rooting interests (Gators & Braves). We also added Liverpool FC which was not something I grew up watching, but have adopted. It has been fun teaching the cheers/chomps/etc.
I've commented this before, but I am hoping to raise my kids to appreciate the fun of sports culture more than I got growing up where my dad for lack of a better term was a Gator supremacist (only the Gators are good and have the best traditions/fanbase/etc). Where everybody the Gators play is some sort of rival. He is still irritated I have a LSU Homefield shirt.
Instead, I am teaching my kids about Wisconsin's "Jump Around" and having was them jump around before the 4th quarter when we had the Penn St./Wisconsin matchup. They know to say "Gig Em" with the hand gesture when Texas A&M was playing Bama. I think this will prove to be more healthy for them and is in no small part because of reading EDSBS for all those years and listening to the Fullcast now. That lets me laugh at unexplainable Todd Grantham losses where we gave up nearly 300 yards to a backup running back.
I will say that they are 5 now and this is the first season where they have an idea of what is going on and showing them the highlights the next morning of Freddie Freeman clinching the NL Divisional Series against the Brewers was something special. It was a kind of circle of life moment because of me also doing that with my dad when I was their age. I will say got a little lump in my throat like I had just read one of these articles :)
I can’t believe nobody tried to explain offsides in the comments! I’ll bite my tongue.
The match on Saturday was great. After watching them struggle to score for much of the season it was a pleasant surprise to see them finish so well, especially since they were several players down.
This was also a bit of a revenge game. The last time they played the Pride one of their players took out Nadia Nadim, Racing’s best player, which resulted in her tearing an ACL. Racing’s win also knocked the Pride out of playoff contention.
Hey now, when Big East Football was a thing, UConn had a couple of good years
This can backfire on you, as my 10 y/o now does the sports equivalent of making me watch Minecraft videos that I don't understand, except it's just highlights I've already seen several times on Twitter. But it's still a win.
We have a collegiate summer league team nearby. When I was first introducing my kids to baseball, we'd go for the first three innings (roughly their attention span) and stop at Baskin-Robbins on the way home. At five bucks for an adult and zero for the kids, this is a lot lower stress way to introduce your children to baseball, than a trip to Baltimore (at the time) that costs $TEXAS. I knew we were finally getting somewhere when they didn't want to leave one night because they wanted to find out who wins. But even I couldn't justify turning my kids into fans of the DERTROIT BEISBOLCATS. We're supposed to want better for our children, right?
You definitely nailed the appeal of soccer matches for a dad with young kids. 2 hour matches are a plus, but even more, as you said the atmosphere is much better. Pro football and even college football for bigger games has been somewhat toxic (at least here in Gainesville).
Do I need to take my kids to a game in the Swamp for them to hear 20 somethings chant "F$&% Joe Biden!"? Do I need to worry about drunken fights breaking out for no reason around them?
No thanks, I'll pass for awhile until they're older.
In my 4+ years of starting to follow soccer more closely I have found both online and in-person the American soccer community has been much more supportive and healthy when watching games. We have gone to the Liverpool bar here in Gainesville for bigger matches with rival fans also there and it was enjoyable. People having a good time and just cheering for their team instead of being confrontational and obnoxious. To be fair, baseball for the most part also has that feel, even Major League Baseball. That is the kind of sports environment I want them to experience and take with them.
"the United States’ World Cup victories in 2015 and 2019"
Jeremiah Johnson dot gif
If you're willing to take the risk on the Cardinals (and make the kids take a side in this state's civil war) may I recommend baseball? The Cardinals actually are a top ten team most years, have hosted regionals and super regionals, and non-conference games are usually free. Besides, there's a top notch playground right next to a train track.
My deepest sports devotion is to the Carolina Panthers, which is really unfortunate. Not sure what to do with the little one. Fresh off really dumb losses to bad teams I have little motivation to expose her to such a sorry team. I can't quit them, but maybe I can stop the spread.
I'm a Spirit fan, but it's impossible not to love Yuki Nagasato https://twitter.com/Yuki_Ogimi/status/1382056948095418371?s=20