There Goes Dad`s Night Out
Mary-Ann Williams
Friday March 30, 2001
The kids.
That’s right. The kids. The Rush have made the family their primary target.
“We are going to work to become the most family-friendly franchise in Chicago,” said new General Manager Mike Polisky. “That’s a priority for us.”
Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard it all before, right? The Arena Football League is for the family, a great place to bring the kids, yadda-yadda-yadda. Whatever.
Not that my husband doesn’t want to take the kids, you understand. He does. He just knows his limitations with them, and their limitations with sitting still for any length of time. (I get to spend my time in the press box anyway, away from the fidgety little guys.)
To be fair, Arena Football does provide enough constant action that the kids don’t really need much during the game. The breaks present a problem, though. What are they going to do during those? My monkeys can’t sit still for a commercial during Pokémon; the money drop and field goal kick just ain’t gonna do it for them. And waiting around outside for them to let everyone in is nobody’s favorite game.
What do the Rush plan to do differently?
Well, for starters, tailgating has gone to the kids. Starting April 28th, the Chicago Rush plan to start the festivities with the kids a full two hours before the game in the tailgating area tentatively called the Rush Kids’ Zone. With four huge, interactive, inflatable games, they plan on letting the kids in on the fun.
One of the games, a giant, inflatable “indoor war” for kids, is a blow-up Arena Football field, with sidewalls, goal posts and all. While Dad and his buddies are tossing the ball around, Junior can do the same, without having to worry about scraping his knees on the asphalt like Dad does every season. And it will wear off some of that extra energy my kids seem to always bring with them.
There’s going to be a little more than just those games going on, too. The plan calls for face painting and a balloon sculptor, too. Finally, things my kids understand and can get into! But what about the rest of the game?
“Half the games played during the breaks will be geared toward the adults, but half will be geared toward the kids,” said Director of Marketing Kevin McDonald. “Plus, we’ll have the balloon sculptor inside, too, walking throughout the arena for the kids. We really want to make this something for the family.”
What about the autographs signings? Will anyone hang out to meet the kids when the last ball falls to the turf?
“They’ll have a ten minute cool-down time in the locker room, then they’ll come out and meet the fans. We’ll also have a couple of nights where the fans can come out on the turf to mingle with the players,” said McDonald. “Coach Hohensee is big on fan-friendliness. If you have the coach big on that, the players are big on that.”
Can’t argue with that logic. No matter what arena you go to, though, without fail the players are there for the kids after the game. That has always been the biggest selling point of Arena Football. To my knowledge, no other sport or league in Chicago offers that kind of dedication to the fans. Hmm, they certainly have me thinking.
If they’re planning on things for the kids before the game, during the game, and the obligatory autograph signings after the game, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad bringing the monsters. I mean, Arena Football itself is everything I’ve ever wanted for them to watch: strength, endurance, good sportsmanship, and fan-friendly attitudes.
Maybe they mean it this time. Maybe for once someone is paying attention to those of us outside the 18-34 white, male demographic. After all, think about it. Families are the ones that have to buy the stupid inflatable toys and giant fingers…for the kids. And there’s no chance Dad’ll make it past a single concession stand without buying something for one of the guys. And all four of the kids (the baby, too) will have to have T-shirts and hats to sign after the game. We count, or at least we should, and it’s nice to have someone recognize it.
Of course, there is one minor problem with them caring about us all of a sudden. There goes Dad’s Saturday nights out without the kids…
Mary-Ann Williams lives in Chicagoland with her four children, Carter, Jackson, Jeremy, and Riley Jade. As a freelance writer, she`s written articles for the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Daily Herald. She also serves as editor of the AFL-side of Arenafan Online, and covers the Chicago Rush.
