The Great American Staycation by Matt Wixon

Author:Matt Wixon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Adams Media, Inc.
Published: 2009-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Getting the Special Treatment

You’re on staycation time, so any trip to a sporting event shouldn’t be rushed. Get to the game early, watch the players warm up, and you can get autographs. Stay late and you might be able to get more (and avoid traffic). And here’s something many people don’t know about: You can contact a team’s front office or community relations department and ask for VIP treatment. No, they won’t send a limo to pick you up or roll out a red carpet, but you can get special attention. This is especially true in the minor leagues, whether it’s baseball, hockey, football, or basketball. Minor league teams are very eager to please.

So take advantage of that. Before you go to a game, contact the team’s front office or community relations department. Tell them you’re coming out to a game and you want to know how you can make it more special. If you’re bringing kids to the game, definitely tell the team that.

You and your family could be part of a promotion or skit. The team might also allow your kids to get on the field for part of batting practice or give them a chance to run the bases between innings or after the game. Maybe your kids will get to sit in the dugout for a few minutes before the game or have the chance to meet some of the players, get autographs, and take pictures with them. Whether a pro athlete is destined for the Hall of Fame or the end of the bench, meeting him or her is a thrill for kids.

A team might not be able to set something up for that night, so again, planning ahead is valuable. But it’s hard to imagine many teams saying, “Sorry, we can’t do anything for you.” That would be like saying, “Why don’t you just go find somewhere else to spend your money.”

That’s why it never hurts to ask.

One last thing, as we finish discussing how someone else can make a sporting event more special. You can do it, too, especially if you have young kids. If you’re going to a minor league game, make it a major league event by immersing yourself in it. Stop by the team shop and get a team shirt and a team hat. If your kids want to make signs for the game, encourage them (and maybe help with spelling). Take pictures during the game of the kids in their seats, with their sports garb on, and as they eat treats from the concession stand. It shows the kids that the staycation is a special time. A vacation time.

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