We are not a team sports family, but this past Saturday we all set off, just our family of 4, to watch the Colorado Rapids play Toronto. That’s when something magical happened. I purchased tickets last minute and we were off to do something magical. Just the 4 of us. It felt good getting in the car and heading out of Boulder. My oldest son asked if we could go to Domo before–very cute since this is not your average kid’s food [if you’ve never gone, then it is a real treat for the whole family!]–but since we weren’t heading to Downtown Denver it didn’t work out.
The Dick Sporting Goods Stadium was the perfect size. Not too big, not too small. It was 
clean and easy to find our way around. The excitement was palpable as the game was getting ready to start with all the pomp and circumstance expected. Ahhh, we found our seats and sat down. My youngest is the soccer kid, so he started out by telling us a few thing about the team and then answering my questions about why things were being done this way or that. He never gets tired of my soccer questions which is very kind of him!
We made it through the first half and it really was a beautiful game! Then half time and the need to spend money at the team store and buy really bad food: Dippin’ Dots, cotton candy, french fries, etc… But you only live once, so we got the goods. Second half. We got back to our seats and still excited we watched this tied game [0 to 0] until the moment happened. The Rapids scored. They scored! They haven’t won too many games this season [or so I gather], so we were witnessing something great. When they scored we all jumped to our feet as though we had done this all our lives. But the magic happened when I looked over at my two kids who were hugging each other and jumping up and down. Not at all self conscious. In the moment. Not wondering where their friends are. It was all worth it!
This may not sound like a big deal, but at 9 and 11 my kids don’t know they are lucky to have a sibling. They fight. They bicker. They are independent dudes. We all agreed this was one of the best things we have done together recently. And we will certainly do it again. What are the pieces that made this family time so magical:
- It was just our family: no distractions, no posturing with friends
- It was new and different: my youngest is the only one who has ever seen a Rapids game live.
- We were engaged [albeit from the sidelines] in an activity that is important to one of our family members.
- Our youngest felt empowered: he quickly and competently filled us in on what was happening on the field.
The Rapids offer family friendly pricing on some games. For example there are Colorado 
Rapids Family Nights: 4 seats, 4 meals & 4 drinks for $52.80. In the end you may pay a bit more if you want better seats, but it is still a deal for a sporting event!
In April, Annelies was selected as the Boulder Families Reviewer for Boulder Opera’s production of La Cenerentola. A BIG thanks to Annelies for this thoughtful review!
