What Do You Think?
Join our Kids Off The Couch community to share your family’s favorite activities and to talk about how media impacts all of our kids’ lives.
View Blog
Why Wait for the NFL?
Rudy + A College Football Game
It's that time of year again, when we find ourselves wondering why football has such a hold on the American (male) conscience. We screened some classic gridiron flicks and discovered a true story about a boy whose love for football dominates his life. In Rudy, Sean Astin plays an ordinary kid whose single goal in life is to play football for Notre Dame. If you have a child who is slow to lace up for sports, Rudy's dogged determination teaches that athleticism is only part of the game. Rudy doesn't even get into Notre Dame out of high school; instead, he attends a nearby college and takes a job on the grounds crew for Notre Dame. It's years before he suits up as a member of the practice team where everyone is won over by his steadfast heart. When he's finally hoisted on the team's shoulder, having dressed for a single play in the final game of the season, your family will be cheering as wildly as the Fighting Irish fans.
It's not easy to be an NFL fan in L.A.. Most fans are either rooting for an out-of-town team, or longing for the days when the Raiders and Rams called Southern California home. Your family can still get its live football fix at either a UCLA or USC game. Both have excellent teams, so why not make a choice of powder blue or crimson and show your kids what it's like to be a hometown fan? We've gone to rowdy UCLA games at the Rose Bowl and watched the Trojans at the Coliseum; our kids aren't loyal to either team, so root for whichever team is ahead, or whichever's fans are yelling the loudest! We also like dropping in on local high school games, which are much easier to attend when it comes to advance planning and parking. The kids stand right at the sidelines, close enough to hear the coach's directives and watch the drill team compete with the cheerleading squad. The price is right and the drama of each play is made tangible by sisters, brothers, parents and friends cheering on the players.
- Rudy is a story that appeals to all ages. Sean Astin's portrayal of the main character is a knock out, and it's fun for adults to get a look at the inner workings of the Notre Dame football operation. The film offers a sensitive portrayal of a struggling middle-class family but it is Rudy's determination that impresses kids. The film has profanity, so we recommend it for kids over 8.
- Younger Viewers will love Air Bud: Golden Receiver, about a dog who plays football, and is one in a series of films about a dog who excels at soccer, basketball andeven volleyball.
- For a romantic football film, we love Heaven Can Wait, starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christy. For humor, try The Fortune Cookie, the first pairing of comedy team Walter Mattau and Jack Lemmon.
- COOL FACT: Director David Anspaugh directed another great sports film about his home state of Indiana, this time about basketball, Hoosiers.
Want to know how to talk with your kids about this film? Here are some conversation starters:
- Both Invincible (now in the theatre) and Rudy tell a similar story about an unlikely guy's shot at the athlete's dream. Ask the kids why the story of the struggling athlete makes for such good drama.
- A single sporting event can lift the mood of a campus, a city and sometimes, even a nation. Invincible shows how the city of Philadelphia rallies around a rookie who makes it onto the Eagles. When Rudy achieves his goal, all of Notre Dame celebrates with him. Ask the kids if they can think of other sporting events that lifted the spirits of a city. (The Boston Red Sox come to mind!).
Cheer on the UCLA or USC Football Team
UCLA's schedule
Time Allotment: 4 hours (allow time for traffic and parking)
Age Recommendation: 5 and up
Want to know what we learned from going to games with our kids? Here are our buttery bits of wisdom:
- The Bruins and the Trojans play each other, at the Rose Bowl, on December 2nd. The battle between the cross-town rivals will likely be a tough ticket, so unless you're a die-hard fan, we recommend a less popular game for your first foray to either storied stadium. Alternately, follow the high-school team of friends who have teenagers - they're intimate enough to make it easy for the kids to learn the game. If you want to blow it up a level, there are plenty of high-school teams right here in the Southland who are highly ranked, both on a state and national level. Once a week, the Los Angeles Times includes the rankings for these teams.
- The Trojans: USC Football tickets are sold out for the season, but tickets can be obtained through the StubHub (the school's ticket exchange). Order soon! You'll need to be flexible, and might not get the exact games or seats you want. Our advice is to move quickly. Upcoming home games: v. Nebraska (9/23); v. Washington (10/7); v. Arizona State (10/14); v. Oregon (11/11); v. Cal (11/18); v. Notre Dame (11/25); v. UCLA (12/2). Fox Sports News will televise the whole USC schedule.
- The Bruins: It's still easy to purchase tickets to a Bruins game, and a visit to the Rose Bowl is always fun. Upcoming home games: v. Stanford (9/30); v. Arizona (10/7); v. Washington State (10/28); v. Oregon State (11/11); v. USC (12/2). Most games are televised - the Washington, Cal and USC games will be on ABC, and Notre Dame (10/21) will be on NBC.
- COOL FACT: The best quarterback in the country, Jimmy Clausen, plays for Westlake Village's Oaks Christian Academy. Clausen has already commited to Notre Dame for next year. Check back to the school's website for a fun, affordable Friday night game.
Want to know more about football in Los Angeles. Here are some tidbits:
- Various local businessmen have tried to arrange for the NFL to return to L.A., either with an expansion team or an existing franchise. So far, no one has made it to the end zone. People are increasingly optimistic that we'll have a team back here by 2009 or 2010, but the League is focusing on finding a suitable venue for a stadium.
- Where's Reggie Bush now? Last year's Heisman trophy winner came out of USC as the second round NFL draft pick and wound up on the New Orleans Saints. He arrived right after Katrina devastated that city, and since he had a bit of money in his pocket (north of $25 million) he has helped rebuild the Tad Gormley Stadium, and donated money to local schools. The embattled Saints football franchise is now selling tickets at a record pace.
- Two new shows on television focus on high school football. The first is the new Friday Night Lights, based on the excellent book by H.G. Bissinger set in Texas. (A film was also made of the book.) MTV's Two-A-Days follows the nation's #2 ranked team from Hoover, Alabama through their 2005 season. These are mature content shows, that we haven't seen yet so check them out yourself before exposing the kids! Both shows will likely feature disturbing elements about the pressure on coaches, and players, to win at all costs.
- Our sons love to play flag football, which happens to make for a great birthday party. You can order flags online (from our friends at Sports Kids) or pick them up at a sports store. Grab some cones to mark the yardages on the sidelines and we promise that every dad will hang around to help you run the game. We've done it for adult birthday parties, too.
Want to see some other great football flicks - Click here to see all our picks at the Kids Off the Couch store at Amazon.com.
Click here to see all our picks at the Kids Off the Couch store at Amazon.com.
Click here for you iTunes download:
All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over for Monday Night Football. by Hank Williams Jr.. The title says it all.
NFL Rap (Let's Play Football) by Double Or Nothin. Hip Hop play.
Monday Monday by The Mamas & the Papas. Go long.
Want some suggestions about sports-related web sites? Here are a few:
- calhisports.rivals.com This site has everything you need to know about high school level sports in California. Requires a subscription.
- http://search.sportskids.com/ Here is a site for all things related to kids and athletics. You can shop for gear, learn coaching tips or have your kids write a sports story.