Taking kids to the Phoenix games

Taking kids to the Phoenix games

I would be interested in the thoughts and experiences of other parents with regard to taking their children to Phoenix home games.  I have four kids (almost 10, 7, almost 6, almost 4) and after attending some matches myself there is now interest from the kids in coming along.  I'm happy to oblige, but don't want to get to half time with plaintive cries of "can we go now" or "I'm bored" ringing in my ears.  (Also worried that seeing dad screaming abuse at opposition players and the officials might be a bit of an eye-opener (though they should be used to shouting by now ).)  At what age have other Phoenix fans found that their children actually enjoy the game and don't make it a misery for their parents?  A work colleague with five boys has suggested 10 is about the age at which they appreciate the experience and can follow the game.  What do others think? 

The Junior News has a season ticket in the Fever Zone with me, it's his second professional football club after attending the Knights last ever game.  He's also been to nearly all Team Wellington's home games.

For parts of the match he's a pain in the arse, but I figure it's all worthwhile for the last 30 minutes which he generally stands on a seat behind me and watches over my shoulder (or last match spent most of the last 15 on James Deans shoulders).

He spends the first 30 minutes nagging me to buy him food, the next 30 minutes eating and drinking, then the last 30 watching the match.  I'm hoping to grow the last 30 to 40 or 45 by next season.

He's just turned 8.  I'm pretty sure Football Mum's lads who are around the same age actually watch most/all of the game.

I take my 12 yar-old daughter. When she can't make the match she insists on score updates by text.

She's been going to Team Wellington since she was 10, although in the early days she was as interested in the bouncy castle as the match. However I suspect the Phoenix experience is slightly more gripping than Team Wellington.

I decided she was ready to go to a game when started sitting through matches on the telly.

Not at the moment he's not.  His throwing arm is in a cast.

Tempting though that is, no.

He whacked himself with the ground under his school playground, from about 5 feet.

Thanks for your thoughts.  It now looks like Miss Almost-10 will come to the Sydney game (thanks to a family pass for my brother's family and them only having the one child).  Inevitably Miss Almost-6 and Mr Almost-4 will start up the chorus of "I want to come too".  Any advice on kids this young?  (Bonus points awarded for: "leave them at home with their mother - in a caring way of course".)

take the kids to the Team Wellington game this weekend as it is a lot cheaper to get them into, so it doesn't hit the pocket so hard if you have to take them home at half time.

I think it is up to you.   The final decision you will have to make is - am I going to watch the game, or am I going on a family outing and could miss most of it?
Have been there, done that.
Leave the littlies at home would be my cold-hearted but experienced advice.   If they are that interested, tell them to watch the game on TV and see if they can spot you in the crowd.

yep I have a 10 year old who watches the whole game and can sit down and have a decent conversation about it after! Then gets home and reads the full 90 from cover to cover!

I also have a 8 1/2 year old who decides when and what he wants to watch sometimes is a pain in the rear end but sometimes up and cheering with the best of them!

Can still have a conversation regarding it...but yes like junior news demands food and drink and is yet to meet James Dean for a shoulder ride

We are in the fever zone but bit more towards the back.

They have been going to Team Wellington since day one and football since they were born...

Your wife might be reading this


Leave the wee ones at home with gran maybe and bring the wife if she's keen
I wouldn't miss it

She's a bit of a hard sell on the football but is coming to the Galaxy match.  Ideally, the whole family will fall in with the Phoenix and we'll all get season passes! 

my track record with our 11 yo boy

as a9 yo TW, his  interest came and went but able to eat his chocolate and look for other kids to play with

as a10 yo TW, mainly watched the game some of his questions amused me , some drove me crazy

10/11 yo at the phoenix, sings, shouts, offers career advice to Danny Allsopp , happy to be in YF zone, happy to move to dodge the stewards if they got fussy about cramming into rows or standing in the aisles (this was before the new rigid seating rule) basically bloody good company!!!

our 4 year old girl wants to come, but i'm afraid she'll have to wait a few seasons

I first took my sons to football, when they were 6 and 8.  My 6 year old did get a little bored.  They're 19 and 17 now and will be going with me to the Phoenix game against Sydney on 4 January 08, while they are down in Welly on holiday. I'll bet they'll want to move down to Welly after the game!!!!!!

I've taken my 22 month old daughter to two games and she loves it.  She gets decked out in Phoenix gear and we stand in the aisle 21 and she gets involved in the chanting, clapping and pointing.  When she gets tired of standing she goes up on my shoulders for a better view.  I can't say she actually watches any of the game but seems to really enjoy the noise of the crowd.

ive taken my two girls (3 and almost 2). went ok. sat in aisle 9. the hot chips and sauce got them thru about 30 mins, half time lap of the stadium kept them entertained, more rubbish to eat after half time, then it got tricker. fortunately i had my father there and half a dozen munch bunch books. I dont think dad saw any of our second half goals against perth though. They did love the goal celebrations - that gave them a real buzz - although cant say they really knew why.

brilliant

now that's what i call a good education

Hope you also post and let us know when she starts to repeat some of the more colorful YF chants at kindy.

My younger daughter enjoys chanting "Same old Aussies, always cheating" with me.  As a reward I might take her to the last home game on January 4!

I've found kids get caught up by your excitement, if you get wound up then they get into it too. I started taking my kids to the Kingz when they were about 8, sure sometimes they lose interest for a while, but usually the kids enjoy the outing anyway, but they do sense if you love it and they tend to get increasingly involved.

Bringing the family down to Wellington for the Sydney game. Kids are 10 (girl) 8 (boy, see avatar, left) and 4 (girl). They're coming to the match 'cos we ain't got no baby sitters down there. Bringing some local friends, hopefully with their kids too. My kids have been going to Waikato FC games for the last couple of years (see avatar, left, for half time entertainment aged 6), and manage to sit through even those games pretty well. The boy (see avatar, left) has lost a bit of interest in football (wants to play rugby next year, over my dead body) so hopefully this will get him in the mood again.

Took my five year old to  two pre-seasons and she got into it, although I have to confess that her question a minute approach (she was quick enough to question whether Daniel was really  hurt) got me a little exasperated.

3 year old grandaughter has been to 4 games -have to babysit so she cames to the football in the full Phoenix gear. Face painting is her highlight. Have no problems with her.

Took the kids to the Sydney match. They had a ball. Cost me a fortune in food, clackers, scarves, more food.... but it was a fabulous atmosphere (we were aisle 23 so well entertained by YF as well as the game). I recommend it as good entertainment for young'uns.

But next time I'm leaving them in Hamilton.

Whereas I was Junior News free, and the first in the Backbencher... hardly surprising it ended badly.

To Joe, Tommy and Mr Wilkinson, thank you lads for getting me home when you did.  Saved me $60 and a serious ear bashing...
Hard News2007-11-19 23:28:11

at the perth game my brother in law took his kid and a few of his friends half way through they were ready to get up and do the haka his dad wouldnt let him thow

I take a bunch of 12 year old girls who dump me and soon as we are in the ground. They go to the next aisle to the Fever as they love the chants and excitement there.

Did take Miss Almost-10 to the Sydney game and she loved it.  She got the Stadium experience of beef burger, chips and coke.  Betrayed her gender bias by being very keen on the merchandise stands.  Asked lots of questions about the football (corner kicks, throw ins, goal kicks etc etc).  A few worrying moments when she didn't know if a goal had been scored or not () but okay overall until about 70 minutes when I made the mistake of explaining that if we were ahead at 80 minutes Yellow Fever took off their shirts.  Well, that was all I heard about from minute 70 to minute 80.  Got home and my dear girl told my wife that when she goes to the Galaxy game with me she should take ear plugs!

good to hear she had a good time
my kids had a blast at the game and were even more pleased when I said they could take their tops off like the rest of yellow fever

Great game shame about the result

As a teacher (well, student teacher), I'm just gonna say here that it's an awesome thing to see parents take their kids to sporting fixtures. When I worked at a school in Khandallah, I always encouraged my kids to go see Phoenix matches or other sporting events when they could, even if that meant standing in front of the class and saying "Remember, the Phoenix are playing tonight, ask your parents to take you along" or asking "Did anyone go to the Shakers game last night?" I'd even talk to parents and suggest they take their kids to sports matches, even when it meant telling a South African's parents to take him to a Lions match (grr springboks).

One of the most important roles our sporting heroes have these days, especially in this era of Playstations and XBOX's, is to inspire our kids to get physically active, hopefully elading them to take up sports themselves. Taking your kid to a sports match may be the first time in producing a future All White, Silver Fern, Tall Black... or even just ensuring your child develops a healthy attitude towards physical activity, something I unfortunately have not seen enough of.

So huge props to everyone who does make the effort to involve their children in sport, both watching and playing, because they are a huge boost to the health of the nation

since when has watching sport been healthy

If watching sport makes kids want to take up sport, it's VERY healthy. On its own, yeah there's not much haha. But it's exposure, advertising for the physical activity involved if you will. Means to an end.

well my heart, spleen, and adrenal glands get a good work out watching football on tv

add my lungs at a live game

when the Nix win I'm smiling for a week, which has known health benefits!

yeah but if they lose, isn't the inverse true

We drive up from Palmy with a 5 yr old boy and a 7 yr old girl,  we have been to 3 games so far, including the Sydney one last weekend, sit in aisle 24 or 25.

haha the other one i've heard kids singing is "the referees a winker"