Taking my son to the BGSU game - Need suggestions...

I agree. It might be a little to much for a little one to handle...a bunch of drunk kids yelling and screaming packed in on each lawn and house. With that said, it is purely harmless.......if your wearing michigan stuff.

A State street experience is probably the best experience in the world, especially for an eight year old. Ahhh The delicious ill-remembered taste of big ten burrito.  The smells of beer, vomit and freshly smoked marijuana. The sound of elegant phrases such as "chug you pussy" and "OH MY GOD I fucked that chick that just walked by during welcome week". Who wouldn't take his eight year old to such a wonderful place?

...my little girl went to her first game last week and I had to explain (or rationalize) why people were playing beer pong in a parking lot and why she could not get involved (despite her evident enthusiasm for the game). 

double post

I used to live a couple of blocks from Washtenaw Dairy, and had completely forgotten about it.  This is a great idea, and it's really close to the stadium.  Plus, depending on when you get to Ann Arbor, there's probably parking in the area.

Unfortunately not that i know of. What i was talking about above was exactly that though, it had field goals, throwing accuracy "practice", a place to take a picture with your son in michigan football gear, etc etc. It was a great spot for kids. They may still have it, but if they do its just not in the same(convenient) spot that it use to be.

There is the Victors Walk before the game where you can watch the players walk into the stadium.  I don't know how kid friendly it is or anything like that but I'm sure someone here has been and give u more exact details.

M Fanfest: Has happened the 1st 2 home games, and is likely gonna happen again. Takes place at Pioneer High School. They have had games, radio broadcasts and other fun stuff (GIANT WOODSON BOBBLEHEAD!?) It went from 9 AM - 1:30 PM last Saturday.

Victors Walk: Likely to be at 10 AM again this week like last week. See the players and coaching staff walk to the stadium in the UM Dept. of Public Safety Building in the Blue Lot (where it was last week, so again I'm assuming here).

Michigan Marching Band Shows (all last week's times): 

• Rehearsal on Elbel Field from 7:30 - 9 AM 
• Percussion Step Show at 10:30 AM on the steps of Reveli Hall 
• Parade to the Stadium at 11:10 AM from Reveli Hall

Hope this also helped. Start them off young, and start them off right! Go Blue, and have a great time with your son!

Read my reply at the bottom. You can meet players after the game.

Be sure to check out the drum line when they come out. Very cool. And then wait and walk in with the band up Hoover. Check out the Victors' Walk a couple of hours before the game. And if he likes throwing around a football, bring one along. I don't know if you can bring it into the stadium - we usually hide ours in some bushes and pick it up afterwards. 

I distinctly remember walking around the outside of the stadium circa 1989-90ish when I would have been 8 or 9 years old.  We came up on a group of students (our season tix were and still are section 35 Row 1) chanting somthing.  To me it sounded like "Show your hits, Show your hits!"  As my father and I looked up to the top of the bowl there were some pretty girls looking down enjoying the attention and then just as quickly as I looked up my mother's hand came across my eyes and the crowd errupted in cheers around me. 

I remember being disapointed that I didnt see what happened but was quickly distracted by the drums and the band.  I had forgotten about that for years!  I am sure my dad could fill you in on the details of what happened when my eyes were covered.  I on the other hand couldnt begin to tell you! :)

Eight could be interesting. he may be cool to sit through the whole game, or he may start to freak out about halftime if the drives are uninteresting. Getting him to stay after and stand around by the tunnel for half an hour hoping to get hold of one of the players could be a real challenge.

Where are your seats?

If you're in row 8, he'll probably be good for most of the game. If you're in row 80, not so much. It depends on how well he knows the game of football, I suppose, but I know it very well and sometimes I have trouble following plays from the top of the bowl. If a kid can't follow the plays, he's going to freak out a little sooner.

One thing that may help, though it's much harder to do with football than baseball, would be to keep score. Take along a sheet with rosters for both teams divided by position groups with a place to mark stats, and he may understand the game better if you say, "Okay, that was a hand-off rush by Shaw for 12 yards, so next to Shaw's name, write down 1 rush for 12. Now that was a pass to Roundtree, so next to Denard's name, mark 1 attempt, 1 completion, 38 yards. Next to Roundtree's name, mark 1 Catch for 38 Yards."

This is simplified score keeping, of course, but it'll help him learn jersey numbers and how to identify plays, and then you'll have something to do at halftime and the end of the game, adding things up together to figure out who the big performers were. You can point things out to him like the difference between big play and possession recievers, "See  how Stonum had 2 catches for 112 yards, but Roundtree had 6 for 64 yards.", and then explain to him what that means. Show him how to figure YPC. If he's really getting it, do the other team's as well, and then you can show him how our defense performed based on what kind of yards and scores we gave up, and who missed on assignments, etc.

Best way to deal with kids I bet now is to rent one of those handheld thingies that show the game.

That way when you have the inevitable as beforementioned bathroom breaks/boredom and needs to go do something, you can.

However, by 8 I bet your son will be able to stay the whole game, just keep him excited. My dad had me in the stands since I was 3, and about 8-9 I was able to keep track of players, the game, and that is where my memories of specific Michigan football players/plays/games really kicks in.

You should be fine, but definitely watch out for those dickheads who start screaming obscenities, if you run into one, don't just sit there silently, tell him to shut his mouth and watch his language. If he continues to be a dickhead, get an usher.

Im all for cheering/getting into the game, but when you are standing next to like a 8 year old, watch your mouth.