The $59.6 million high school football stadium
- Thread starter Aragorn
- Start date
This high school football stuff is one of the things about the USA that I'll never understand. Why would anyone want to see children compete unless it's your own kid on the pitch? When I watch sports I watch adults not teenagers.
It's just pride for a lot of people who don't have pro or college sports teams nearby.
In smaller communities, high school sports are something of a unifier for the community. Lots of people come to support the school they went to, regardless of whether or not they have kids in the sport. It's also sport that the everyman has access to when the cost of going to a pro or college game has gotten so commercialized and costly.
I don't know what the going rate for footy tickets is in Europe, but the University of Wisconsin charges $18 for the cheap seats for men's hockey to $50 for a seat at football, a trip to watch the college players could cost between $100 and $300 for a family of four for tix and treats.
Pro football tix cost around $100 each for cheapseats, and even pro baseball has gotten damned expensive.
I don't know what the going rate for footy tickets is in Europe, but the University of Wisconsin charges $18 for the cheap seats for men's hockey to $50 for a seat at football, a trip to watch the college players could cost between $100 and $300 for a family of four for tix and treats.
Pro football tix cost around $100 each for cheapseats, and even pro baseball has gotten damned expensive.
I can understand all that, which is why I don't attend professional sporting events (I just watch them on TV). However, I'm more inclined to agree with this....
BTW Maestro, I love your avatar. Best. Bond. Ever.
I think that in places where the school is a focal point in the community, it's easy to understand the appeal of high school sports. In places where there are other major focal points, people don't need the appeal of high school sports, and thus don't understand the appeal.
I grew up in a somewhat isolated town of 10,000 people. I sort of got it, but not really. When I started teaching in a town of 2500, where the football stadium was packed on Friday nights, I got it.
I grew up in a somewhat isolated town of 10,000 people. I sort of got it, but not really. When I started teaching in a town of 2500, where the football stadium was packed on Friday nights, I got it.
I grew up in an even smaller town and I get the whole team/town spirit vibe, but this strikes me as extreme (even for Texas). I'm all for school athletics (there are numberous benefits), but when it gets so skewed that it's put that first and foremost, I don't get it. I have a feeling a lot of those kids will be under a lot of pressure from an early age on.
18K seating high school football stadium
Currently their (old) stadium has 8,000 spectators + another 4,000 on bleachers = 12,000 spectator seats..
Look I've watched almost 2 seasons of "Friday Night Lights" (2006) TV series and understand that for smaller towns in Texas that a few thousand could attend a game.
It comes down to economics really. The admission tickets & concession stands bring in money for the public school. It's capitalism. I can't blame them for being able to support this.
18K stadium seating & 4,500 parking spaces is ridiculous for high school sports though IMHO.
But this is Allen, TX which is located in a growing suburb of Dallas. This is a suburb not a town of 2,500.
as per Wikipedia
Currently their (old) stadium has 8,000 spectators + another 4,000 on bleachers = 12,000 spectator seats..
Look I've watched almost 2 seasons of "Friday Night Lights" (2006) TV series and understand that for smaller towns in Texas that a few thousand could attend a game.
Maestro how would you compare your town of 2500 with the fictional town of Dillon, Texas in "Friday Night Lights" TV series?
It comes down to economics really. The admission tickets & concession stands bring in money for the public school. It's capitalism. I can't blame them for being able to support this.
18K stadium seating & 4,500 parking spaces is ridiculous for high school sports though IMHO.
Yeah, I have no problem with high school athletics (I think they're a good thing, overall), but can you imagine having to play in front of 18,000 people while in high school? That's a ridiculous amount of pressure for young players that aren't playing in any sort of professional capacity.
high school football & pressure for students
Compare it to college football.
High school football prepares them to be very competitive and be able to play the game well.
It all trickles downward. Can you imagine the pressure for 6th & 7th graders to really be team players and learn the game for high school while they are going through puberty and also the academics of middle school too.
I wonder if The Allen, TX middle schools athletics departments are just insane on the football front?
Yeah I hadn't thought of that.
Compare it to college football.
High school football prepares them to be very competitive and be able to play the game well.
It all trickles downward. Can you imagine the pressure for 6th & 7th graders to really be team players and learn the game for high school while they are going through puberty and also the academics of middle school too.
I wonder if The Allen, TX middle schools athletics departments are just insane on the football front?
^ Google. It's your friend.
http://www.statemaster.com/graph/edu_hig_sch_dip_or_hig_by_per-high-school-diploma-higher-percentage
http://www.statemaster.com/graph/edu_hig_sch_dip_or_hig_by_per-high-school-diploma-higher-percentage
Yeah, them.
Hm. I can see that, it's more honest I guess.
My problem just is that I really didn't like my high school all that much. I'm still living within walking distance of the school but it would never occur to me to step inside the building ever again, let alone root for a team from my old school.
I simply cant understand were they have got all the money for this from, I can under in some areas of America there is no other competitive sports teams around so local people go to high school football but were on earth did they get $60 million from ? it just seems daft. Could the money also be used to be invested in some of the schools academic facilities it just seems excessive.
