My daughter's first game

[5FingerVolPunch]

Saturday, I'll be taking my 6 year old daughter to her first game. I'm not posting this for any other reason than sharing a special dad moment with my Volnation brethren and sistren.
My daughter doesn't get overly excited about football and her attention span is all of about 5 minutes before she starts playing with her toys or whatever else she can find to occupy her 6 year old brain, but she almost always stays in the living room with me and sometimes sits next to me on the couch while I'm watching our beloved Vols play. She's my game buddy.

The day has finally come that I can take her to experience her first game day in Knoxville. It will be a day of shopping to find the perfect game day attire for her, tailgaiting, Vol walk, watching our Vols run through the T, singing Rocky Top over and over, and finally watching the Big Orange come away with a win.

My hope is that this becomes an annual tradition. That she enjoys it so much she can't wait to go back again next year. That she loves the Vols as much as I do or at least loves going because she gets to spend the day with her dad watching the team that I love.

For any parents out there that took your kid to their first game, how was it? Did you make it a tradition? Did they light up watching all of the cool traditions? Any recommendations?

 

[DaddyChad]

I think you’re doing it right by taking her to a smaller game. There used to be a Volunteer Village or something like that close to the stadium there where they have a lot of kids activities. Idk if they still do that or not but if so that’s one thing you could do. I always tried to go walk down by the river a bit as well and check out the Vol Navy. Idk if she would be into that. I think if you take them to these smaller games and make it mostly about them they’re more likely to want to go back and cherish those memories. Wait till they’re older to take them to the Bama and Florida type games.

 

[adam.vol]

Bring hearing protection for her and if it’s really hot, you may want to get out of the seats and walk around periodically to cool off. Lift her up to see as much as you can stand, because looking at people’s backs gets boring quickly.

I don’t know how far up you’re sitting, but my favorite thing to do as a child was to look through my dad’s binoculars and listen to John Ward through the earphones. I was terrified of how high up we were sitting and the stadium shaking when the crowd celebrated was of great concern.

 

[5FingerVolPunch]

I think you’re doing it right by taking her to a smaller game. There used to be a Volunteer Village or something like that close to the stadium there where they have a lot of kids activities. Idk if they still do that or not but if so that’s one thing you could do. I always tried to go walk down by the river a bit as well and check out the Vol Navy. Idk if she would be into that. I think if you take them to these smaller games and make it mostly about them they’re more likely to want to go back and cherish those memories. Wait till they’re older to take them to the Bama and Florida type games.

I'll have to check on the Vol Village. Since it's a night game, we were wondering what we could do that would be fun throughout the day.

Yeah I've been to enough big games. Didn't want to bust her ear drums for her first game. lol. 2015 Oklahoma dang near busted mine.

 

[5FingerVolPunch]

Bring hearing protection for her and if it’s really hot, you may want to get out of the seats and walk around periodically to cool off. Lift her up to see as much as you can stand, because looking at people’s backs gets brining quickly.

I don’t know how far up you’re sitting, but my favorite thing to do as a child was to look through my dad’s binoculars and listen to John Ward through the earphones. I was terrified of how high up we were sitting and the stadium shaking when the crowd celebrated was of great concern.

We're in AA. That will be the highest I've ever sat, but tickets were expensive considering it's Kent State. Had to go with the bargain. We'll be bringing our bright orange ear plugs.

 

[GiveHim6InSC]

Saturday, I'll be taking my 6 year old daughter to her first game. I'm not posting this for any other reason than sharing a special dad moment with my Volnation brethren and sistren.
My daughter doesn't get overly excited about football and her attention span is all of about 5 minutes before she starts playing with her toys or whatever else she can find to occupy her 6 year old brain, but she almost always stays in the living room with me and sometimes sits next to me on the couch while I'm watching our beloved Vols play. She's my game buddy.

The day has finally come that I can take her to experience her first game day in Knoxville. It will be a day of shopping to find the perfect game day attire for her, tailgaiting, Vol walk, watching our Vols run through the T, singing Rocky Top over and over, and finally watching the Big Orange come away with a win.

My hope is that this becomes an annual tradition. That she enjoys it so much she can't wait to go back again next year. That she loves the Vols as much as I do or at least loves going because she gets to spend the day with her dad watching the team that I love.

For any parents out there that took your kid to their first game, how was it? Did you make it a tradition? Did they light up watching all of the cool traditions? Any recommendations?

View attachment 675416

Volunteer Village, hit up VolShop near the stadium, and watch the Vol Walk and the POTSB go into the stadium. Go down to the river and see the Vol Navy and watch the boats go by. She will love it. We took our kids to the Zoo one year when there was a night game. Traffic wasn’t bad and we had rented a little house in Knoxville for the weekend. Have fun!!!

 

[WillisWG]

We're in AA. That will be the highest I've ever sat, but tickets were expensive considering it's Kent State. Had to go with the bargain. We'll be bringing our bright orange ear plugs.

Enjoy and don't forget the rain gear

 

[ftsandersvol]

We're in AA. That will be the highest I've ever sat, but tickets were expensive considering it's Kent State. Had to go with the bargain. We'll be bringing our bright orange ear plugs.

 

[cobbwebb0710]

Saturday, I'll be taking my 6 year old daughter to her first game. I'm not posting this for any other reason than sharing a special dad moment with my Volnation brethren and sistren.
My daughter doesn't get overly excited about football and her attention span is all of about 5 minutes before she starts playing with her toys or whatever else she can find to occupy her 6 year old brain, but she almost always stays in the living room with me and sometimes sits next to me on the couch while I'm watching our beloved Vols play. She's my game buddy.

The day has finally come that I can take her to experience her first game day in Knoxville. It will be a day of shopping to find the perfect game day attire for her, tailgaiting, Vol walk, watching our Vols run through the T, singing Rocky Top over and over, and finally watching the Big Orange come away with a win.

My hope is that this becomes an annual tradition. That she enjoys it so much she can't wait to go back again next year. That she loves the Vols as much as I do or at least loves going because she gets to spend the day with her dad watching the team that I love.

For any parents out there that took your kid to their first game, how was it? Did you make it a tradition? Did they light up watching all of the cool traditions? Any recommendations?

View attachment 675416

Enjoy it and soak it all in, bud...they grow fast.
Try to notice every little detail, when she watches the cheerleaders, high fives Smokey, eats her first stadium dog, those are little things you’ll remember for the rest of your life, and hopefully she will too.
In the blink of an eye, she’ll be a young woman.

 

[volfan2491]

i took my 4 year old son to his first game, against UTC, dude had an absolute blast. for sure soak it in like everybody is saying. it was one trip that i will never forget. he sang rocky top so loud, his voice was so raspy the next day.

 

[5FingerVolPunch]

Enjoy and don't forget the rain gear

Good call on that. Just checked the forecast.

 

[VOLfrombama]

Definitely let her pick out some new vol gear at the bookstore.

Vol Village has kids stuff but they didn't have it when we went so we went for pizza before the game.

We also took turns walking around the stadium (my wife and I) because, like you said, the attention span is not there at her age yet to be able to sit still for 4 quarters .

Take plenty of bathroom breaks and get snacks as often as needed to keep her interest/spirits high.

Yes it sounds like we bribed our kids, but they still talk about that trip fondly and still have the Vol blanket, boggin, and shakers from that game.

Now my daughter wants to attend UT's forensic program. So the way I see it we are still winning as a result of spoiling them that day.

 

[Voltopia]

I'll have to check on the Vol Village. Since it's a night game, we were wondering what we could do that would be fun throughout the day.

Yeah I've been to enough big games. Didn't want to bust her ear drums for her first game. lol. 2015 Oklahoma dang near busted mine.

Thanks for taking care of her hearing. It's not as "fun" with earplugs but at that age she can't make decisions for herself. You're doing the right thing to help protect her there.

I eventually wised up and started wearing earplugs as well; it's important. Even for adults who want to say "well I've already ruined by hearing" - you can always damage it further. Every time you wear them is another time you save some of your hearing. I admit it sort of makes games a little lame, but man, I can't say that a few hundred hours in Neyland is worth a lifetime of poor hearing.

 

[tomq_123]

My daughter and I go to 1 game a year. We head up to Knoxville Friday after school and stay downtown. Eat at either Soccer Taco, Stock & Barrel, etc.. spend time at the candy store and general store in downtown. Get to campus in time to spend some time a the UT Bookstore (can't not call it that) and to watch the Vol Walk. It's a great weekend and now even more so since she will be touring this year (she's a junior in high school) to attend in 2026/2027 (although it's just 1 of the schools she touring).

 

[5FingerVolPunch]

My daughter and I go to 1 game a year. We head up to Knoxville Friday after school and stay downtown. Eat at either Soccer Taco, Stock & Barrel, etc.. spend time at the candy store and general store in downtown. Get to campus in time to spend some time a the UT Bookstore (can't not call it that) and to watch the Vol Walk. It's a great weekend and now even more so since she will be touring this year (she's a junior in high school) to attend in 2026/2027 (although it's just 1 of the schools she touring).

We're skipping school Friday and headed out that morning. I'm on the other end of the state so it's about a 6 hour drive. Gonna do lots of fun stuff Friday to make it a fun experience. Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[goldvol]

I read the thread title as My Daughters first NAME, and was hoping someone had named her after Heupel, Squirrel, etc. Would have been a fun thread, thinking about it

 

[KoachKrab127]

I took my daughter to her first UT game when she was 4. It was also a night game. Accept now that you might have to leave the game early. I had to because my daughter was exhausted by the time the 4th quarter started. So your daughter might get tired too, especially if you do a bunch of fun activities before the game starts. I hope you're in shape (unlike I was). You might have to carry her back to the car.

Have her wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat if you do pregame stuff. Since it's a night game, the sun will probably not be a problem at kickoff, though. And it's already been mentioned, but ear plugs too!

My daughter loved the Vol Village. They had bounce houses, ice cream, and she even got to pet the real Smokey (not sure if he's there every week. That might have been a special thing that day). She also really enjoyed the Vol walk, while sitting on my shoulders. She loved watching and cheering with the cheerleaders, seeing the Smokey mascot, and hearing the Pride of the Southland marching band. Singing Rocky Top while hearing the band up close got her pumped more than anything before the game.

Don't be in a hurry to get into the stadium early. Sitting for a long period of time, she might get restless. Let her buy something cheap at the bookstore like beads or pom poms. My daughter wanted a foam #1 finger and a pom pom, which cost like $3 total back then. It was a really cheap and easy way to make her excited.

Food definitely occupies. My daughter had a hot dog, a pretzel, and popcorn. The popcorn was great because who cares if you drop a bit of it, and it lasted a very long time. Try to stick with water for her to drink. Stay hydrated.

Wear/bring layers of clothing for her. It'll probably be hot before the game, but might get cool and windy as the night progresses, especially if you're up high.

She probably won't know where the ball is at all during a big play, so celebrate like crazy with hugs and high fives during a touchdown, and point to the jumbotron so she can watch the replay. Encourage her to dance, sing, and cheer. These are the best moments for both of you.

I hope you have a great time. I sure did our first game!

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Yah, man, if I had this to go back and do again, I think what I would do is this:

Don't worry about the game. She's not going to watch the game. She's barely even going to notice the game. All her attention is going to be on what's happening around her. So focus on that, explain everything she's seeing in the stands, and hearing, and feeling. Explain that the building is perfectly safe even if it bounces up and down a little under her feet. Explain that the people around her are nice, even if they are yelling, and they love the same things she loves.

Get up and walk around. A lot. Most of the game. All over. Show her how all the other seats are laid out, and where the team stands on the sideline. Go inside the concourse and just spend time exploring that with her. It being her first time, all this stuff we find mundane she will think fascinating.

Paradoxically, get back to your seats for half time and spend it there. The stands will be a little quieter, and you'll have a better opportunity to explain how the playing field is laid out, watch the band, so on. Maybe point out Smokey and the other mascots for both teams. Explain how the mascots sometimes play around with each other. Ask her to keep an eye on them for you, and let you know if they do anything funny.

The better she understands the building, her surroundings, after this first trip, the better she will enjoy and be able to actually watch the game in future trips.

So just think of this one as a sacrifice on your part. Gift it all to her.

I think you're gonna have a blast; I wish I were still back in time where you are now.

Go Vols!

 

[5FingerVolPunch]

I took my daughter to her first UT game when she was 4. It was also a night game. Accept now that you might have to leave the game early. I had to because my daughter was exhausted by the time the 4th quarter started. So your daughter might get tired too, especially if you do a bunch of fun activities before the game starts. I hope you're in shape (unlike I was). You might have to carry her back to the car.

Have her wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat if you do pregame stuff. Since it's a night game, the sun will probably not be a problem at kickoff, though. And it's already been mentioned, but ear plugs too!

My daughter loved the Vol Village. They had bounce houses, ice cream, and she even got to pet the real Smokey (not sure if he's there every week. That might have been a special thing that day). She also really enjoyed the Vol walk, while sitting on my shoulders. She loved watching and cheering with the cheerleaders, seeing the Smokey mascot, and hearing the Pride of the Southland marching band. Singing Rocky Top while hearing the band up close got her pumped more than anything before the game.

Don't be in a hurry to get into the stadium early. Sitting for a long period of time, she might get restless. Let her buy something cheap at the bookstore like beads or pom poms. My daughter wanted a foam #1 finger and a pom pom, which cost like $3 total back then. It was a really cheap and easy way to make her excited.

Food definitely occupies. My daughter had a hot dog, a pretzel, and popcorn. The popcorn was great because who cares if you drop a bit of it, and it lasted a very long time. Try to stick with water for her to drink. Stay hydrated.

Wear/bring layers of clothing for her. It'll probably be hot before the game, but might get cool and windy as the night progresses, especially if you're up high.

She probably won't know where the ball is at all during a big play, so celebrate like crazy with hugs and high fives during a touchdown, and point to the jumbotron so she can watch the replay. Encourage her to dance, sing, and cheer. These are the best moments for both of you.

I hope you have a great time. I sure did our first game!

Awesome advice. I imagine we'll leave 3rd quarter sometime. She'll most likely have had enough by that point. I'm in decent shape, but hoping not to have to carry her 5 miles to get back to the car. lol

Didn't think about sun screen. Good call.

We'll definitely be hitting the book store. We're hitting up Alumni Hall Friday too.

 

[5FingerVolPunch]

Yah, man, if I had this to go back and do again, I think what I would do is this:

Don't worry about the game. She's not going to watch the game. She's barely even going to notice the game. All her attention is going to be on what's happening around her. So focus on that, explain everything she's seeing in the stands, and hearing, and feeling. Explain that the building is perfectly safe even if it bounces up and down a little under her feet. Explain that the people around her are nice, even if they are yelling, and they love the same things she loves.

Get up and walk around. A lot. Most of the game. All over. Show her how all the other seats are laid out, and where the team stands on the sideline. Go inside the concourse and just spend time exploring that with her. It being her first time, all this stuff we find mundane she will think fascinating.

Paradoxically, get back to your seats for half time and spend it there. The stands will be a little quieter, and you'll have a better opportunity to explain how the playing field is laid out, watch the band, so on. Maybe point out Smokey and the other mascots for both teams. Explain how the mascots sometimes play around with each other. Ask her to keep an eye on them for you, and let you know if they do anything funny.

The better she understands the building, her surroundings, after this first trip, the better she will enjoy and be able to actually watch the game in future trips.

So just think of this one as a sacrifice on your part. Gift it all to her.

I think you're gonna have a blast; I wish I were still back in time where you are now.

Go Vols!

A lot of little things I would have never thought about in this post. Appreciate you.

 

[rocketskates]

Have a great and special time with your daughter. I'm willing to bet she becomes a lot more interested in Tennessee football after attending. My son was completely blown away by the experience of his first game and he is straight up passionate about Tennessee sports now.

 

[ATC_VOL]

Saturday, I'll be taking my 6 year old daughter to her first game. I'm not posting this for any other reason than sharing a special dad moment with my Volnation brethren and sistren.
My daughter doesn't get overly excited about football and her attention span is all of about 5 minutes before she starts playing with her toys or whatever else she can find to occupy her 6 year old brain, but she almost always stays in the living room with me and sometimes sits next to me on the couch while I'm watching our beloved Vols play. She's my game buddy.

The day has finally come that I can take her to experience her first game day in Knoxville. It will be a day of shopping to find the perfect game day attire for her, tailgaiting, Vol walk, watching our Vols run through the T, singing Rocky Top over and over, and finally watching the Big Orange come away with a win.

My hope is that this becomes an annual tradition. That she enjoys it so much she can't wait to go back again next year. That she loves the Vols as much as I do or at least loves going because she gets to spend the day with her dad watching the team that I love.

For any parents out there that took your kid to their first game, how was it? Did you make it a tradition? Did they light up watching all of the cool traditions? Any recommendations?

View attachment 675416

Took my oldest when he was 4 and my youngest when he was 3. They’ve both been to dozens of games now and are disappointed we haven’t been to one yet this season. They’ll both sit through a whole game now. The first few times I strategically planned snack times. First TV timeout of the 2nd quarter I’d take them to go get some popcorn or something and walk around a bit. Then halfway through the 3rd quarter we’d do the same. I also showed up fairly close to game time. That way they weren’t already worn out from having been on campus for several hours before the game starts.

It’s a whole different experience going with your kids when they’re young but well worth it. Have fun!

 

[volfannga]

Saturday, I'll be taking my 6 year old daughter to her first game. I'm not posting this for any other reason than sharing a special dad moment with my Volnation brethren and sistren.
My daughter doesn't get overly excited about football and her attention span is all of about 5 minutes before she starts playing with her toys or whatever else she can find to occupy her 6 year old brain, but she almost always stays in the living room with me and sometimes sits next to me on the couch while I'm watching our beloved Vols play. She's my game buddy.

The day has finally come that I can take her to experience her first game day in Knoxville. It will be a day of shopping to find the perfect game day attire for her, tailgaiting, Vol walk, watching our Vols run through the T, singing Rocky Top over and over, and finally watching the Big Orange come away with a win.

My hope is that this becomes an annual tradition. That she enjoys it so much she can't wait to go back again next year. That she loves the Vols as much as I do or at least loves going because she gets to spend the day with her dad watching the team that I love.

For any parents out there that took your kid to their first game, how was it? Did you make it a tradition? Did they light up watching all of the cool traditions? Any recommendations?

View attachment 675416

And she will remember it forever. Good job dad. I was about 8 when my dad and I went to my first one. Vs GA Tech. He is gone now but it will always be a great memory.

 

[deezvols]

I can’t wait to take mine! She keeps asking when we’ll get to go see Smokey and his team. We took her to a spring game a couple of years ago, but she needs the full experience as I did.

 

[5FingerVolPunch]

And she will remember it forever. Good job dad. I was about 8 when my dad and I went to my first one. Vs GA Tech. He is gone now but it will always be a great memory.

I’m WAY more excited about it than she is. lol. I think I’m wearing my better half out talking about it. Gonna do everything I can to make it a special experience so she wants to go every year. I’d be willing to bet your dad felt the same way. Sorry for your loss brother.