Packer Family Night

Mike got tickets for the Packer Family Night scrimmage at Lambeau earlier this month, and it was awesome.  The only thing that would have been better would have been having our two grandchildren with us!

Family Night is just what it sounds like, a celebration of Packer fan families and player families.  Ticket prices are much less than game tickets, and while $10 is still not cheap, the amount of kid-focused give-aways and activities kept the kiddos fully wound-up.  It was probably much more fun for them than watching an actual game, which would be much longer and less engaging. 

The families did turn out!  We were seated near several extended family groups, with grandparents down to tiny babies. All the kids were given “noise makers” on entrance, two stick-like inflatables that made a fine racket when clapped together.  There was plenty of noise, plus the added fun of bopping each other with the sticks.  I started calling them “pummel sticks.” (Hint:  if you aren’t crazy about wound-up little kids, this is not an event for you.)  

Everyone was decked out in Packer regalia except for a few stray Viking, Dallas and Bears fans, who were subjected to playful teasing.  Lots of little boys had their hair dyed green, gold or both; there were souvenir hair extension clips in green and gold for little girls. An enthusiastic long-haired blonde girl in front of us got some of those and was so excited I couldn’t help but share her joy.  That little girl’s hinder was not in her seat the whole evening, the popular music being played had her dancing the whole time. I envy the fact that even in the heat, most of these kiddos had energy to spare, while at 9:30 p.m. I was ready for bed!

The evening scrimmage of the players was fun to watch.  Doubs looked good, and so did Love.  It was hard to tell much about the defence, but the kickers were making 50 and 52 yard field goals right and left.  It served to make us more excited for the season to start, filled as we are with our normal optimism.

The evening also featured scrimmages between local youth football teams, giving them a chance on the big stage, and what seemed like a couple hundred miniature cheerleading squads, all getting their moment of glory on storied Lambeau field.

It was hotter than Hades, too, making me wish for Brewer-game type concessions.  The normal Packer fan “fare” just wasn’t appealing on such a hot day; and there was no frozen lemonade or ice cream to be found.

One of the highlights for me was some youth football players competing in skills tests like kicking field goals through a Lambeau upright or catching a pass from a Packer.  The best one, a boy who lived his dreams, was in a punt return test and he caught three consecutive balls while holding the ones he’d previously caught. It was amazing such little arms could hold it all, and the entire Packer team mobbed him with their congratulations.  That kid will be on cloud nine for months.  It was uplifting to be among thousands of people celebrating one little kid.  It is magical sharing joy!

Packers also brought family members out on the field, with one big, burly lineman-type guy proudly hoisting his tiny infant up in his huge hands.  It was so sweet, you couldn’t help but smile.

The only thing that distracted me a bit was the fact that the stairs in the stadium are awful.  While the Packers do accommodate those with physical disabilities with special seating and elevators, many of the people I watched climbing up to our seat location obviously have foot, hip or knee problems or breathing issues. The stairs are an awkward distance apart, less than two normal steps but more than one. Their pitch is very steep and there are no handrails.  I can’t imagine how many people fall on those steps every year. Lots of people had to stop and rest every few rows.  There’s no easy fix for this due to the need to accommodate seats (lots and lots of seats), but it’s something to be aware of if you are ever lucky enough to go to a game.

If you are a Packer fan family, and have kids or grandkids who love the team (or dancing and pummelling each other with inflatable sticks), it’s well worth watching for this annual event and jumping on tickets right away as they always sell out. 

GODSPEED:  Congratulations to Country Cousin on her column-writing retirement.  I am in a good position to know that it’s not easy to crank out a column every week, and she did so approximately 1,300 times!  

You can reach me for commentary, alternative viewpoints or ideas at this e-mail address:  Janiethibmartin@gmail.com.

Janie Thibodeau Martin