A family day at the ballpark, stadium, or arena is a great way for kids to marvel at talented athletes and share the excitement of rooting for the home team. It can spark a lifelong love of sports.
Unfortunately, taking your crew to the big leagues can be expensive: Between tickets, parking, concessions, and souvenirs, a family trip to watch the Seahawks, Kraken, Mariners, Sounders, or Storm will cost a pretty penny and is prohibitive for many families.
Lots of options
Three cheers for the greater Seattle area: This region is a sporting hotbed with many fun, heart-pounding, and affordable viewing options.
Case in point: lower-league soccer is on the rise, inspired, no doubt, by the rocketing success of Ballard FC’s first two seasons in the semi-professional USL2 league. Recently, two new USL2 teams have been launched: West Seattle’s Junction FC and Midlakes United in Bellevue, and Ballard FC has announced the launch of a semi-professional women’s team.
Each FC team roster features talented collegiate players—many of whom were high school standouts here just a few years ago. Finding a favorite player or three is easy for fans young and old at USL2 games, especially with seating so close to the action on the field. Moreover, player proximity and accessibility extend beyond game time.
Game environments with kids written all over them
Lower-league and college sporting events tend to offer an environment that is accommodating of young fans, even those who get fidgety by halftime and need a place to run around. Ballard FC has been known to allow young fans to interact with players on the field before or after games. As with many lower-level, minor league, and college sports teams, all three soccer clubs invite fans to collect autographs from players at the end of matches.
This interpersonal connection makes attending non-professional games—including Seattle’s minor league baseball team (the DubSea Fish Sticks), junior ice hockey team (the Everett Silvertips), or the region’s Western Ultimate League team (the Seattle Tempest)— a great way to help kids develop positive role models, and an opportunity to show young fans what it can mean to stick with a sport they love. Since they cost less than pro games, families on limited budgets may be able to attend several matches in a season.
Here also is a chance for fans to experience the thrill of attending “away” games. It may be beyond reach to take your family to Houston to watch the Mariners or Detroit to watch the Seahawks, but taking your family of Bellevue Midlakes fans to West Seattle just might be doable.
An affordable fan-making option
Tickets for the Fish Sticks, Silvertips, FC clubs, or Tempest games cost between $10 and $15, and Ballard FC offers free admission for children ages 5 and under. Whether you attend minor league games or college sporting events, you can expect similar pricing and fan experience. Tickets to Seattle Pacific University Falcons volleyball or other team sporting events cost less than $10, while Seattle Cascades ultimate games cost $20.
Here’s a look at some of the minor league and college sporting events available in and around Seattle. Check out your local college’s athletic department for more options.
Minor league baseball
- DubSea Fish Sticks tickets are $13.50, free for kids 3 and under. tickets.gofishsticks.com
- Everett AquaSox tickets start at $17. milb.com/everett/schedule
- Tacoma Rainiers tickets start at $18. milb.com/tacoma
Junior League hockey
- Everett Silvertips tickets start at $20; chl.ca/whl-silvertips
- Seattle Thunderbirds tickets start at $20. chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds
Ultimate (frisbee)
- Seattle Cascades tickets cost $16 for adults and $5 for kids ages 10-18; ages 10 and under are free. watchufa.com/cascades/schedule
- Seattle Tempest costs $16 for adults; $5 for kids ages 10-18, kids 10 and under are free. seattletempest.com
College Sports
- Seattle Pacific University Athletics volleyball games cost $11 for adults, $8 for kids ages 3-18, 2 and under free.
- Seattle University Athletics softball games are free.
- University of Washington Athletics gymnastics meets cost $15, free for kids ages 2 and under. The school’s track-and-field competitions cost $10, kids 12 and under are free.
Food and fans always go together. Most non-professional sporting events offer some level of concessions, including perhaps food trucks and beer gardens. Teams promote regular theme nights throughout the season, with special activities and incentives for attendees.
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