Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Fish out of water

 Football games. Every single one is different. The plays that are called, the plays that are made, the points earned and even the fans attending change. For some people, football games are more of a social event and for others it is what their lives revolve around. I can get really obnoxious while I am watching football because I yell alot. "NO! NO! Why did you do that?!" and  "GO! GO! GO!" are my most commonly used phrases. However, Over  the past few years I have learned that only in some environments can I actually cheer as much as I want to.
Oak Hall Football games are more of a social event. All the high schoolers line up along the fence like to act like they are watching (but few of them actually are) while the younger siblings play their own game of football in the baseball field. The parents sit up in the stands to support their kids and make sure they don't get injured. We have a DJ, not a pep band, the students don't have their own section and don't usually participate in the whole "school spirit" thing. After a few Oak hall football games, I automatically assumed this was how it always was, the occasional look at the score board to see if we were winning, the frequent trips to the concession stand and the constant laughing with my friends. To me, that was how all high school football games were, but I was in for a surprise.
My Sister goes to Eastside High School. Probably the complete opposite of Oak Hall. I decided to go to one of the football games with her last year to see what they were like. Getting ready, I put on a green shirt, orange scarf, jeans and boots. I mean it was going to be cold and people usually wore cute outfits to football games right? Wrong. My sister game out in orange running shorts, a cut up green shirt  and a fuzzy orange hat on! I had never seen anyone wear anything like that to an Oak Hall game especially when it was going to be cold! I laughed it off thinking she was just insane and most people would be wearing what I was. Wrong again. We arrived at citizens field and the first thing I noticed were all the cops. What were they doing there? Then I noticed how big it was! And it was mostly full! We walked over to the student section ( I thought it was weird that it was actually full of kids) and  I realized all the the kids were in running shorts and most of them had their shirts off ( girls with sports bras on) and painted their stomachs with orange and green paint. That is when I realized, I was sooooo out of place. The band, which was huge, played music throughout the whole game and had an amazing half time show. The kids were cheering the whole game! It was incredible. However, me being the awkward person I am stood in the back of the student section by myself most of the game. I didn't know how to respond to all the "pep". I got some strange looks that night. I was so out of place. However, next time I went I knew what to expect, went with the flow and had a blast! I could actually cheer!

2 comments:

  1. Chelsea:
    Excellent job! You really capture a jovial, playful tone through your descriptive details and good-natured writing voice. The topic itself is funny and insightful-- a casual sports crowd vs. a die-hard rooting crowd-- and I love your little phrases like, "Wrong again.", or "That is when I realized, I was sooooo out of place."; you really capture Sedaris' silly tone, but make it your own.

    I look forward to reading more of your posts!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think it's great how you really showed your personality thru your blog post and how you laughed at your self, admitting you were being awkward. You also described the environment, like how the band played all night and how even tho it was a cold night everybody had their shirts off and stomachs painted. I think you did a really great job!

    ReplyDelete