Parents of recruited football players - do you attend every game?

[Anonymous]

My kid may be doing a sport a plane ride away next year. I expect to be able to go to zero games

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid may be doing a sport a plane ride away next year. I expect to be able to go to zero games

It's fine. Depending on the sport and school, you can watch it online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My (non athlete) college student would hate if we visited her that often. She competes at a different activity and we only plan to attend if her team make the championships. Are athletes less independent than non athletes?

This is completely non responsive to the op, which asks specifically about sitting in the stands and watching a son play a dozen D1 football games at a very high level.

“Independence” is irrelevant. So are your daughter’s dance events

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid going away to college is a great opportunity/time for you to pick up new hobbies, skills, or friendships!

Clearly you don't have an athlete or you were one of the crappy parents who was MIA for their games.

It doesn't make someone a crappy parent to have their own lives once their kids go off to college. I would go to MAYBE one per semester.

[Anonymous]

Went to about 70%. Loved it!

[Anonymous]

I am not AT ALL a sports person, but for a D1 national contender team, if we could easily afford it, I'd go to all the home games and to any easily accessible away games. Why not?

Big football games are not at all like swim meets or fencing. Sounds like parent attendance is the norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not AT ALL a sports person, but for a D1 national contender team, if we could easily afford it, I'd go to all the home games and to any easily accessible away games. Why not?

Big football games are not at all like swim meets or fencing. Sounds like parent attendance is the norm.

You can watch all the games on TV…it’s one of the few sports where you can actually watch without having to physically be there…while in fact you have to physically attend most swim or fencing meets if you want to watch your kid.

[Anonymous]

Does any of this depend at all on if your kid is actually playing? If they are the third string field goal kicker with almost no chance of actually getting in the game, are you as likely to go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My (non athlete) college student would hate if we visited her that often. She competes at a different activity and we only plan to attend if her team make the championships. Are athletes less independent than non athletes?

This is completely non responsive to the op, which asks specifically about sitting in the stands and watching a son play a dozen D1 football games at a very high level.

“Independence” is irrelevant. So are your daughter’s dance events

Op's decision making is what is low level. OP can to decide to go to the games or not. What DCUM thinks about it is irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not AT ALL a sports person, but for a D1 national contender team, if we could easily afford it, I'd go to all the home games and to any easily accessible away games. Why not?

Big football games are not at all like swim meets or fencing. Sounds like parent attendance is the norm.

You can watch all the games on TV…it’s one of the few sports where you can actually watch without having to physically be there…while in fact you have to physically attend most swim or fencing meets if you want to watch your kid.

Yeah, but attending in person is a social event in a way that swim meets are not. There's a reason that these stadiums fill up with 50,000 people or whatever. The games -- the marching band, the mascot, the dance line, the tailgating, all of it -- are events beyond the game in a way that no other college activity is. I have deep reservations about the amount of time, attention, and money US universities commit to big sports, but I think it would be churlish not to enjoy the upside.

Obvious, if OP and her family don't find traveling to/ attending the games fun, OR if attending would be financially stressful / eat into other commitments (to work, younger children, weekend commitments like church, whatever) then I wouldn't attend all the games. But if it's fun, and doable, why not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not AT ALL a sports person, but for a D1 national contender team, if we could easily afford it, I'd go to all the home games and to any easily accessible away games. Why not?

Big football games are not at all like swim meets or fencing. Sounds like parent attendance is the norm.

You can watch all the games on TV…it’s one of the few sports where you can actually watch without having to physically be there…while in fact you have to physically attend most swim or fencing meets if you want to watch your kid.

Yeah, but attending in person is a social event in a way that swim meets are not. There's a reason that these stadiums fill up with 50,000 people or whatever. The games -- the marching band, the mascot, the dance line, the tailgating, all of it -- are events beyond the game in a way that no other college activity is. I have deep reservations about the amount of time, attention, and money US universities commit to big sports, but I think it would be churlish not to enjoy the upside.

Obvious, if OP and her family don't find traveling to/ attending the games fun, OR if attending would be financially stressful / eat into other commitments (to work, younger children, weekend commitments like church, whatever) then I wouldn't attend all the games. But if it's fun, and doable, why not?

So, attend because it’s a fun event…even though your kid doesn’t care if you are physically there because as you say you are one of 50,000 and he knows you can watch the game even if you can’t physically attend. However, don’t attend your kid’s swim meets or fencing matches because those are boring.

That’s your argument?

[Anonymous]

Your kid does care, I think. But it's less a sacrifice / much more fun for you than going to a fencing/ track/ swim / golf meet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid going away to college is a great opportunity/time for you to pick up new hobbies, skills, or friendships!

Clearly you don't have an athlete or you were one of the crappy parents who was MIA for their games.

It doesn't make someone a crappy parent to have their own lives once their kids go off to college. I would go to MAYBE one per semester.

Did your son play football for LSU, Ohio or similar? If he did, was he okay with you going to MAAYBE only one of his games each season?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My (non athlete) college student would hate if we visited her that often. She competes at a different activity and we only plan to attend if her team make the championships. Are athletes less independent than non athletes?

This is completely non responsive to the op, which asks specifically about sitting in the stands and watching a son play a dozen D1 football games at a very high level.

“Independence” is irrelevant. So are your daughter’s dance events

Op's decision making is what is low level. OP can to decide to go to the games or not. What DCUM thinks about it is irrelevant.

No one should ever crowd source anything or ask for advice on DCUM ever !!!! Remember : DCUM is only a place to discuss how much you love Taylor Swift

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does any of this depend at all on if your kid is actually playing? If they are the third string field goal kicker with almost no chance of actually getting in the game, are you as likely to go?

My DS "played" D3 baseball. He was on the team but only played four innings in his four years on the team. After his freshman year, we realized he was never going to play but I still went to almost every single home game and any away games that were within a two hour drive. He was at a school about an hour from home so going to games was not a huge burden. I also went to his spring break games, which required a week long hotel stay. He typically had one week day game and three games on the weekend, 45 plus games over the course of the season.

Why did I go to watch my DS sit in the stands and keep stats? He liked it when I was there - we usually went out to eat after the games and he would never turn down a free meal! Life is short and the time we get to spend with our almost launched children is precious.

There were a couple of other parents with sons who rarely played who would attend most home weekend games. There were also parents of starters who rarely attended games. I would never judge parents who do or don't attend games - are there younger children at home? is it a financial burden to travel to games? does your job allow you to attend games? (one of the parents was a nurse and worked weekends.)

Good luck to your son!