As W becomes more and more and more and MORE active the question on my mind is not which sport he will be drawn to but when. He is his own buzzing orbit of energy drawing in the energy of those around him and spitting out those that can’t keep up. I can see already that he will be a portal to a world that I had zero interest in growing up. I never felt the urge to be sporty or be a part of a team sport. I was much more content sitting under a tree or inside a lovely air conditioned library reading about it.
The other day I had the realization that I was not bringing any sort of “home team” culture into W’s life. I know tons of people that root exclusively for athletic teams simply because they are born into it. Born in New York and you will either be a Yankees fan or a Mets fan- and chances are you will have very little say in the matter. I hear it is like religion that way. Facebook walls get decorated with babies in extra large football jerseys picked out by exuberant sports fan family members, kids start to love or hate colors depending on team sports…
Since my Grandparents lived in a college town there was much to do about university football. And while I was aware that a game was on based on the yelling coming from the den I could never be counted on to tell you who the players were or even the rules of the game. (um…I still can’t.)
I want to find W a home team. A team that we can learn about together, follow, support, and claim as our own. And if you know anything about sports you might have already guessed which team I immediately gravitated towards for W’s team: The Washington Nationals. (fyi- there might be some autoplay on the link)
Their logo is a giant W.
Washington Nationals in 1888
I was going to start doing research on them before I wrote this post- but that ruins the point. At this very moment I know next to nothing about baseball. I know some of the terms, some of the songs, that peanuts are involved. I have even been to a few games. I got the worst sunburn of my life at a Met’s game in Los Angeles (required 6 shots of cortisone). And I really, really liked the movie Bull Durham.
Next wednesday the Nationals play the Mets during the middle of the day. Cheap seat tickets are $10 each but I bet we won’t stay in the seats very long. And if he doesn’t seem interested I won’t push it. I have a feeling he will love it though- mostly because he loves a good crowd.
So if you were going to ‘splurge’ on cheap seats which ones would you get? The ones at the top right or the ones in the bottom left? Will one be more in the shade? The top right is being called “Upper Right Field Terrace” and the bottom left is called “Upper Outfield Gallery”. Gallery sounds like it would be under cover…um…right?
which seats should we get?
I’ll keep you guys posted on how things progress- but input on how you introduce a home team would be appreciated!
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
We usually sit in right field – it’s fairly easy to see what’s going on – but that’s just where our tickets end up being. And the shade depends on the orientation of the stadium but the cheap seats are frequently under an overhang. The only problem with the cheap seats is that the stairs tend to be steep, so you will have to keep an extra close eye on W.
How to introduce a home team…make a point of watching the games or reading the box scores to him or pointing out fan apparel and gear. And, of course, get him a hat. And then just tell him “We like the Nationals!” Although why you would choose them over the White Sox, I will never know.
Also, finding out who the prime rival of your team is, and constantly cutting them down is another good way to show your loyalty. Cubs suck.
The shade will depend on the time of day, and I have no idea what that would be, I haven’t been to the new park too many times yet, and once was for a night game. (Do you want company?)
Regardless, if it’s too sunny, most of the walking/vendor areas are covered, so you can go in there. I bet he loves the big head mascots… they’re a bit scary.
My husband said there will be no shade in either set of seats at 1:00. The afternoon sun sets behind the third base side in the stadium. He does not recall much overhang, but there might be a small one on the gallery side. He says, call them and ask, but he’s never been in a ballpark where the $10 seats got you shade. That being said, there are covered walkways and my son-in-law tells me there is a fine playground. Food is expensive and they may have restrictions on what you can bring, but you could certainly try in a diaper bag. My son-in-law, trying to develop a baseball interest in my granddaughter, always makes sure that he stays for the mascots’ race, the “President’s race,” and allows plenty of playground time and food time. He faces the bathroom issue (she is 7 now) that you will not yet have (go in which one?). I do not know if there is a family bathroom, but there might be.
The “W” is called the “curly W” frequently, but your W will have to dispute possession with my grandson Will, who referes to it as “my W.”
i know only slightly more than you about baseball, but i would go for the ones on the right. there’s a lot more action between home plate and first base than between third and home, is my reasoning.
First of all, Matt says “that’s the worst description I’ve ever heard.” But he was talking to me trying to describe where the two seat choices were. I showed him your map and he says the ones on the right side. The green ones. I bet neither will be under cover.
Elizabeth enjoyed eating peanuts and clapping when everyone clapped. She will still yell “YEAH BRAVES” (to Matt’s enormous pride).
Green ones.
Helllo – why art thou not banging down the door of “The Nation”? Pish. Too bad W’s name doesn’t start with a B – then he’d be all about my BELOVED Red Sox!!!!!!
That said, they have books like Your First _______ Team books. My kids have those
And also they are members of Kid Nation – the kid membership to becoming indoctrinated into The Red Sox Nation. You get a lunchbox with some stickers, pencil, shoe laces etc and a membership card and a newsletter a few times a year. My kids know I LOVE baseball so we sit down and talk about who’s number is higher for the score – the general rules (no explaining a balk yet!) and just spend time together. A friend of mine learnt how to read by learning how to read the box score in the paper. Honestly all you need is a little hat or a little flag to hold – that breeds a lifetime of loving baseball.
P.S. Remember he will have internet Aunties like myself who are more than willing to take in a game with him and explain all necessary rules – I’m also available for Football (American) and Hockey!
Are there any guys at your church who would be interested in sharing their interest in sports with W? You’d kill two birds with one stone.
before you get him hooked say the word and the size and i’ll get him all the Mets stuff he desires.
YAY for sports!! Another RED SOX NATION member here–and I’m in AZ! I second the idea of watching on TV so he can see the uniforms w/the W’s! I just looked on the MLB/Nationals website store and they have some cute kids’ tee-shirts and onesies w/the big W on ‘em.
Yes also to snacks in diaper bag. Maybe try for seats close to an aisle so you can exit to the rest room when necessary. And definitely caps for both of you.
And so you can be an informed fan, the Nationals just lost their star rookie pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, to a torn elbow ligament. He will be out of commission the rest of this season and likely all of next season, too! Sad for him, the team, and the fans.
Have fun–I hope W enjoys it–I’m sure being outdoors with the crowd will be fun for him. Get a picture if you can!
I was just at the White Sox/Nats game about a month or so ago (sorry, all, I’m a born and bread White Sox fan. And Bears fan, and Notre Dame fan. I can’t help it. It’s in my blood), and I was all excited because our seats were, indeed, covered. But then the sun shifted. And glared directly upon us. Being that I’m a pale, pale girl, I made it until about the 6th inning and, having sweat thoroughly through my clothes, got up and moved to the bar area. (I wasn’t even drinking, it was just shaded!) You’ll probably get hit with sun no matter where you sit – at one point or another – so the idea of getting up and walking around is always good. Plus, there’s a lot to see at the park, which I’m sure will keep W super intrigued and interested!
A game sounds like fun. I don’t typically choose to watch sports on TV but know enough about football and baseball that I can watch and follow what’s happening. I’ve been to a few live games that were a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy yourselves at the game.
Knowing nothing about the stadium, it looks like either could be in the sun. It would depend which way the stadium faces (North? East?) to see your chances for shade. I lurve the Braves, so this will be perfect!
And since you didn’t specifically claim your grandparents college team as your own, can I share ours? I will commence finding W a cutie tee now! 
I’d suggest buying walk-up tickets when you arrive at the stadium, since it certainly won’t be sold out. You can then ask the ticket agent about shade for particular seats. Often the seats at the back of a given section are under an overhang — though outfield seats are often totally unshaded.
On principle I like to sit in the outfield if I’m not behind home plate, because I prefer a straight-on view, but I suspect that W won’t be too concerned with counting pitches and other nerdy things that I do at a game, at least not for a few years.
As for introducing a home team at his age, just emphasize the uniform color (“guys in white” or “guys in blue” etc.) and tell him to cheer when someone scores or gets a hit — just join the Nats fans when they cheer.
Just another suggestion – you may want to check out local college hockey/football/baseball also – they have cheap tickets and could be fun for W to get a taste of sports. I think half the fun at this stage is cheering along with everyone else.
It’s my understanding that the Nats never sell out, so I suggest that you get the cheapest seats you can get, then go up to a shaded section and hang out there. I am a diehard Yankee fan and overall baseball enthusiast, and I find that by being excited about baseball and watching it on TV, my older son gets excited too. Of course, my foolish husband is a Phillies fan, so we fight regularly for the baseball allegiances of our kids (including our 5 month old despite the fact that he is too young to care). My point is, if you show interest, so will W. Though I just re-read some of the other comments, and I like the idea of using the books too. My older son practices counting reading his Yankee book (I suppose it could be said that he does the same with his Phillies book too, but I can’t confirm that).
I’m really not into sports, unsurprisingly, but I am a die hard Horns fan (University of Texas Longhorns) and have been from birth. It comes from the city I was born and raised in, my mother’s rabid love for all things Horns, and therefore my constant exposure to the team. Buildings in my city are burnt orange, a main part of our skyline turns into a bright orange torch out of remembrance or victory. Most of us can’t escape owning something that’s burnt orange or with a little longhorn emblem somewhere. We bleed orange, s’what we say. I think, at least for me, it was the environment I was raised in, wearing the clothes, watching my parents watch the game, surrounded by other insane fans. It rubs off on you!
a good thing to know about the nats stadium is that you can bring in any food you like but they are very strict about drinks: one, one-liter bottle of water is IT and it must be sealed (new from the store–not a reusable bottle) as you show your ticket. I went with a friend who opened in in line to get into the stadium and they made her throw it out. There are probably exceptions for baby bottles.
I live five blocks away from the stadium and am a big fan–glad w is getting started early!
Not a clue on the seating, but hope you both enjoy the game! I was never a big team sports fan…oh, I went to lots of games in high school – mostly for social reasons – never paid much attention to the game itself! LOL But…as a Mom of boys, it seems like so much of boy culture revolves around sports – either playing or watching, or both. So much like you, I had to learn to MAKE it a part of our lives. And ya know, it’s been more fun than I thought to pick a team and learn the game, the players, the rivalries, etc. We go to lots of high school football games, and every so often a college football game…and we are hoping to make it to a baseball game as soon as it cools down a bit, and the boys love the NBA games when I can get tickets. I started putting games on TV and making sure that I talked about the big rival games, playoffs in various sports, and any major sports news (never mind that half the time I had no clue myself, but I figured if other people were talking about it a lot, it was probably important!) I think this was especially important for N, because he has always had enough difficulty “fitting in” – picking a team and becoming knowledgeable about them helped him learn to start and join conversations with his peers – which for a kid with Aspergers is a big deal.
Heh – I’m still a rockin LookOuts Fan…..hahahahah!!! and i don’t mean any offense or anything but do you really think it’s neccesary to “fan-base” your child? I mean, i wasn’t allowed to play sports as a child, C played baseball and football and gave it all up to play guitar, and neither of us are big sports fans. I like to watch play off games, but that is about the extent of it. That being said, we DO encourage W to be a part of any sport that interests him (EXCEPT wrestling – I just can’t handle it). So far we have done 3 years of Baseball, 4 years of soccer (i’m coaching again this year), and 2 years of swim team. Basketball may be next. So we root for him and not team colors or specific teams. To me personally, rabid team loyalty just translates to the “branding” of your child. He/she is then turned into a walking billboard. I’m sure I will catch hell for this post, but I just wanted to give you something to think about. Love you bunches and bunches!!!
Dude, your boy is much, much too young to have any idea of what a “team” is, let alone to follow the rules of any game more complicated than peekaboo.
I’m not saying he’s stupid, but he’s little yet and the best way to ease him into the sports thing is to give him a big, sort of soft ball and let him mess around with it. A mommy and me (or Lolly and me) class like Gymboree is good, too. It gets him crawling through tunnels and waving a big circle of parachute cloth and climbing things along with other little kids.
If you go for the subliminal effect you can have a ball game on TV in the background while he does other stuff but as for actually taking him to a game he’d probably be bored and want to leave. Maybe a Little League game would work but he’d probably be happier running around HIMSELF, rather than watching other people.