Yesterday during our worship service, which was held in the Doughty Valley, I sat in my lawn chair and looked around. There was something different about the air. I smelled fall. The leaves may have been verdant green, and the grass to match, but I sensed a different way the wind blew. Fall. Back to school. Sweatshirts. Bonfires. And for lots of us here in Holmes County and surrounding areas it means much more – the start of fall sports.
Most of you know my kids attend Hiland High School. For me, that means soccer – and lots of it. Hiland doesnt have a football team, never have, but we have had soccer for a very long time. All three of my children played/play it. My oldest two are playing at the varsity level this year, and so begins my last two years of being a rabid soccer parent. My family is well-known for having very loud voices. Im no different so you will find me at whatever field the Hiland team is suiting up, and Ill be the one screaming at the top of my lungs. My husband yells even louder. I love every minute.
Sporting events can be expensive, over time, and it seems this time of year drains my wallet quicker than most. We pay for cleats, shin guards, put in miles driving them to practice, driving to all the games, then paying dearly just to watch them play. Its the nature of the beast and we part with our money, wincing only slightly when the adult ticket prices go up, and settle in on that hard aluminum seat to watch our kids take the pitch. Its a love of the game. For years parents have thrown around the idea of a family fall sports pass. For one price, you buy a ticket which will get you into all the fall sports home games you desire: soccer, volleyball, etc. – you name it. Every year this is brought up, and every year nothing gets accomplished. We struggled through years of scraping it together so we could attend sporting events. My sister and her family have four children – one which plays at the high school level. A pass would be highly beneficial to families such as these who want to see their kid play, yet dont want to pay an arm and a leg every single time they head out to the field. I would love to see this come into play.
This was the first year for Hiland to have to pay to play. Our levy cant seem to get itself passed, and we are starting to feel the effects of it at every level. Sports the least of it. We paid our dues and the kids suited up. You might say hey, we dont want to pass that levy and pay slightly higher property taxes. I say how cant we pass it? Our schools are a by-product of our communities. If they start a downhill slide, then that reflects on our community. How can we, as business owners and smart efficient people, let our schools start a slide into disrepair?
Regardless of what the levy is or isnt doing, sports continue to march on and be a vibrant part of our community. Sporting events are well-attended, and will continue to be for as long as there are kids to don a uniform and grab a ball by foot or hand. I have and will support my local teams until I have no breath left in me. Over time, Ive learned a few tricks for saving money traveling to games.
1) Ticket prices are high – pack your own food! Lots of money has been saved in this household by packing sandwiches and drinks. If the trip is longer, snacks are packed too. Nothing beats a cold ham sandwich overflowing with goodness, rather than spending high concession stand prices or drive thru madness. Although, we do support our local concession stand, of which monies go toward the prom. Ill enjoy a coney for that cause.
2) Gas prices are high also – carpool! Ive had lots of fun carpooling over the years with various families, getting to know them while the road is long. Splitting money for gas goes a long way in saving a little money.
3) In the end, you cant get to every game. With two playing I have to pick and choose. They understand and realize not everything is about them. This week is one of those weeks. Sometimes a spouse will attend one game, and the other will attend the other game. If this works for you then go for it. If not, pour your focus into one game and hear all the details when the other one gets home. Its almost like you were there in person.
