A Hoosier Tradition?

Tonight I took Max to his first basketball game. Carmel High School Boys Basketball. I was pumping him up all week for this event. I was super excited too. The last time I went to a high school boys basketball game...well that was when I was in high school I think (actually I went to a game a few years back when my cousin Ben was coaching during a championship game down here in Indy). But regardless, knowing the following that Carmel football has, I was expecting a packed gymnasium and crazy fans like I saw when the football team played in the State Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium. However, when we walked in during the JV game I was very surprised at a few things:

• Smaller gym than NorthWood High School
• Hardly any fans (more did arrive by Varsity tip off, but still not even 50% capacity)
• Didn't appear to be reserved seating for season ticket holders
• Only about 100 students in the student body. Might have been more band members than student body even
  

Now, maybe because it was over 15 years ago my memory made things bigger than they actually were in high school, but I just figured a school the size of Carmel would have a huge following and a bigger gym. But it could just be that the impact and importance of high school athletics (really football and basketball, because Lord knows nobody came to watch me pole vault!) had in northern Indiana communities isn't a standard for all of Indiana. I guess I just assumed that people all over the state packed up their kids and attended these sporting events on Friday and Saturday nights. That's what I always did and I loved it.

Tina didn't share in my surprise when I told her all this when I got home. She basically just said 'Yeah, I always thought your parents were weird for going to high school games". Oh.

Well regardless, Max actually really enjoyed it. It was probably just the fact that he had most of the popcorn and he knew that he was staying up "late". Several times I was ready to go and he wanted to stay until the end. He knew when to clap and cheer, got to see a dunk, but I'm sad to say for him, he did show signs of grandma Patty-type outbursts as the ball was heaved across the court a couple times. You know what I am talking about if you've ever seen my mother at a game.

Nevertheless, even though I might be weird to apparently most people around this area, I would like going to these games to become a tradition for me and my boys. We really had a great time and it's a cheap activity that's exciting and safe. And Max already asked if we can go to the next game!

Peace out!