My first game of RL I was a reluctant spectator, in fact a reluctant sports spectator of any code. I was excited by the buzz of the crowd, amused by the cheer girlies, surprised by the fireworks, deafened by the music. The ground was filling fast, and there was a crowd outside trying to get tickets. Then the team came onto the ground, and I was amazed that everyone around me seemed to know what was going on. At halftime they opened the gate to let in all those stuck outside (most who had pre-paid for tickets) and they sat on the running track. Storm's first home game, and I'm sure many Storm supporters first game.
The innocence of the young doesn't die. My kids aren't sports mad (I bribed my 7yo to come to matches by buying him a pie at half time) but they have fond memories of kicking the footy up the grassed bank at OP, or rolling down it very fast. There is something to be said for grounds where there is a bit of grass and somewhere for the kids to muck around almost in sight of Mum & Dad. The first sight of Colonial my youngest asked "where's the grass?" but he still manages to find somewhere to kick the footy! At a recent Footy Day at school, my eldest donned his Essendon jumper, with a Storm top underneath, but my youngest kitted himself out in ALL the Storm gear he could get his hands on and was a real sight. Everyone in his Primary School knows who he goes for and who the Storm are!
)
