My daughter's first game

[volfan2024]

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?

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Such a great dad!

 

[SubjectiveReality]

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 to his first game when he was 5 or 6. It was Alabama and we got wrecked, but luckily he doesn't remember what happened, just that we went and our row buddies got him popcorn.

I share tickets with my college roommate so at least once or twice a season I get both tickets and my son either goes with me or my wife. This year, due to a job move by my friend I have all the tickets. So the kiddo gets to celebrate his 12th birthday tomorrow at Neyland. My 6 year old gets his first game this year too.

I don't have any other advice that hasn't already been given other than I'm lucky to get to do the 1st game again with kid 2 at the same age. So make sure to soak it all up and let your daughter have the time of her life, because you don't get to do that 1st game ever again with her. I was too worried the first time about making sure the kiddo was having fun I forgot to have fun with him.

 

[Five0Vol]

Soak it all in. Pretty soon that 6 year old will be a senior at UT and the other kid is a sophomore at College of Charleston.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Soak it all in. Pretty soon that 6 year old will be a senior at UT and the other kid is a sophomore at College of Charleston.

Massive delurk! So you wait five years to comment on a post.

Yeah… this OP was worth breaking your silence, well worth.

 

[NetworkVol]

8 years ago I took my oldest to her first game. I would recommend not overdoing it. I did pretty much the same thing you are planning and walked her all over the place all day and she got really tired and was exhausted in the 4th quarter. Completely lost interest and just wanted to go to bed. She had a good time but if I had it to do over, I'd probably just take her out to a late lunch/early dinner and then head to the game early. If you get there early enough and can walk her down to greet the cheerleaders, she would probably love it.

 

[WillisWG]

 

[SN-A-C Orange]

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!

I know I am late to the party ... He has the right of it!
If you are a camera guy take lots of pictures of her!!! These are for you right now and her ... for a LONG TIME TO COME.
Think of this as the first of many daddy-daughter "dates" ... do these "dates" all the time! MAKE MEMORIES ... those will last HER a lifetime!
Go Dad!

 

[SN-A-C Orange]

@5FingerVolPunch, consider changing your avi to reflect your girl dad status.

That is my little girl ... all grown up ... so I guess you could say I have followed your advice for a while now. :^)

 

[vol24/7/365]

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

Take her plenty of snacks and she will be fine! I know. Been there done that!

 

[5FingerVolPunch]

Do you already have tickets?

Yeah got them about a month ago. Way more expensive than I expected. Supply and demand I guess.

 

[5FingerVolPunch]

Post game update:
It could not have gone any better.
She got to meet cheerleaders and got pics with them. She even got to hold their pom poms. She saw the Vol Walk. Ate lots of treats from concessions. Saw them run through the T. Saw "the real" Smokey. Loved the fireworks and light show. Was amazed by the C-17 fly over. I lost count of how many times she sang Rocky Top. We left right after halftime and she actually wanted to stay longer. I asked her that night and the next morning if she was going to want to come with me again next year and she lit up and yelled YES! both times. Complete success. Mission accomplished.

 

[SN-A-C Orange]

Post game update:
It could not have gone any better.
She got to meet cheerleaders and got pics with them. She even got to hold their pom poms. She saw the Vol Walk. Ate lots of treats from concessions. Saw them run through the T. Saw "the real" Smokey. Loved the fireworks and light show. Was amazed by the C-17 fly over. I lost count of how many times she sang Rocky Top. We left right after halftime and she actually wanted to stay longer. I asked her that night and the next morning if she was going to want to come with me again next year and she lit up and yelled YES! both times. Complete success. Mission accomplished.

Way to go, Dad!

 

[NetworkVol]

Post game update:
It could not have gone any better.
She got to meet cheerleaders and got pics with them. She even got to hold their pom poms. She saw the Vol Walk. Ate lots of treats from concessions. Saw them run through the T. Saw "the real" Smokey. Loved the fireworks and light show. Was amazed by the C-17 fly over. I lost count of how many times she sang Rocky Top. We left right after halftime and she actually wanted to stay longer. I asked her that night and the next morning if she was going to want to come with me again next year and she lit up and yelled YES! both times. Complete success. Mission accomplished.

Got her hooked!! Great job

 

[KoachKrab127]

Post game update:
It could not have gone any better.
She got to meet cheerleaders and got pics with them. She even got to hold their pom poms. She saw the Vol Walk. Ate lots of treats from concessions. Saw them run through the T. Saw "the real" Smokey. Loved the fireworks and light show. Was amazed by the C-17 fly over. I lost count of how many times she sang Rocky Top. We left right after halftime and she actually wanted to stay longer. I asked her that night and the next morning if she was going to want to come with me again next year and she lit up and yelled YES! both times. Complete success. Mission accomplished.

Excellent! Glad she’s excited to do it again sometime. To get her even more interested, you could always do basketball, baseball, or softball as well. Those tickets are cheaper.

My daughter and I went to a men’s basketball game one day, she was 9 at the time, way up in the nosebleeds, and a worker came up to us and asked us if we wanted to be “fans of the week.” We got to go to the VIP lounge, eat fajitas, met some lady vol players, took pictures, got to sit in box seats, and got our faces on the jumbotron at halftime. It was so much fun! Something we’ll both never forget.