Tips For NFL Gameday

Football is one of the most exhilarating sports there is. With so much fast-paced action, there is never a dull moment. The NFL as a league is excellent at making the entire game day a thrilling experience. In this article, you will learn how to make the game-day experience even better for your child’s introduction to the sport.

Represent Your Team Proudly

If you are planning on making a trip to the game, you will want to dress up in your team’s colors. There is nothing better than being able to represent your team’s colors proudly on your way to the game and while at the game. I ended up giving my sons a pair of throwback jerseys of Colt’s legends. Our youngest son ended up getting a Peyton Manning jersey and our oldest son ended up wearing a David Thornton jersey. That was a special one as it was a personal gift given by David himself a couple of years prior. My son’s faces lit up when I showed them their game day gear. Best of all, we decked ourselves out in Colt’s blue.

Arrive Early

While no one wants to wake up at 6 a.m on a Sunday on a normal day, that’s not the case with game day. It’s such an exciting day that waking up early for it is a breeze. Luckily, arriving at the stadium early allowed us to take in a much more immersive experience. Firstly, arriving early allowed us to beat the crowds on a lot of the outdoor activities available at the stadium. My boys were able to participate in a lot of the activities to their heart’s content to the point where they were exhausted (in a good way).

Grab Anything Free

You will find a lot of different things that you can get for free before, during, and after the game. The more things kids get, the happier they are. This is true even if that stuff isn’t necessarily something they will cherish forever. While at the game, my boys were able to collect a range of things from programs to posters to beaded necklaces. Because they will be able to get a lot of things for free, you want to bring in clear plastic bags to ensure you comply with the stadium rules. Allow your kids to fill up their bags with all kinds of free stuff.

Official Souvenirs

While the free stuff is certainly good to grab, you don’t want to stop there. Instead, you want to offer up some official souvenirs for their first game. After all, it’s their first game day experience. It’s something they will likely cherish forever. Try to budget a certain amount to gift them some official souvenirs that they can keep with themselves. While you shouldn’t spend too much at the official store shop, you do want to get something they can look back on fondly and remember their first experience.

Grab Something To Eat BEFORE

This is a major tip. Unless you are prepared to fork over large sums of cash for chicken tenders, eat something before you enter the stadium. If you happen to get to the stadium early, you shouldn’t have any issues with fitting in some grub time before entering. You can grab something within walking distance of the stadium to ensure your boys don’t get hungry during the game.

Don’t Wait To Get To Your Seats

After you finish eating, you should head back to the stadium and find your seats. Unless you’ve been to the stadium and know exactly where to go, don’t wait to do this right before kickoff. After all, no one wants to miss a single moment of their first game. There will likely be a line virtually everywhere you go in or around the stadium as games can get packed. Because of this, you should get to your seats as early as possible and enjoy the warm-ups and the introductions.

Always Point Things Out

Kids aren’t going to understand everything about the game. Our 9-year-old is at the point where he is purposefully watching and even tracking the games. Because of this, you want to give them all of the information they need to get the most out of the experience. Point out where the scoreboard is and help them read it. Show your younger kids where the big screens are and let them enjoy the silliness of the mascot. Answer any of the questions asked about the game during the action.  Make sure you are familiar with those obscure NFL rules as well!

Don’t Overdose On Sugar

One of the biggest mistakes you can make during a game is giving your kids cotton candy or anything else full of sugar. These things will make your kids hyperactive during the game which can make it difficult for everyone to enjoy it.

Place Your Bets

Add further excitement to the game by placing an online bet, check the best odds according to ATS.io.

Don’t Rush Out After The Game

Just because the scoreboard says the game is over doesn’t mean the experience is. In our case, the game was pretty much wrapped up at the beginning of the 4th quarter. After all, the final score ended up 23-3 with seemingly no chance of a comeback at any point in the game. Allow the crowd to rush out while you slowly work your way out of the stadium. This will allow your kids to enjoy the stadium when it’s near empty and take in the final moments of their first game day experience.

Allow your kids to enjoy it as much as possible and treat it as your own first game day experience. After all, you are giving them a memory that will stay with them for a lifetime. Help them immerse themselves in the experience by jumping, shouting, and participating in all of the shenanigans. Most importantly, don’t forget to take photos and videos to savor the experience in the future.