He looks so young. He has a baby face, but he doesn’t know it. His hair done all in braids. Wiry and strong. His team is down three points. Send him in, Coach! With 3 seconds left … he beats the buzzer! The home town wins! The cheerleaders cheer. The fans go wild. His mom (you know her mother) and dad hug him proudly.
Now you have to get a t-shirt.
Such are the joys of watching hometown sports, something people tend to abandon after they leave high school. But why? For drama, excitement and enthusiasm, nothing beats high school sports.
The funny thing is that it’s good for you, too. A 2019 study of 584 older adults found that just watching sports was a mood booster that encourages a sense of well-being and belonging, according to the Journal of Aging and Health.
The good news is that high school sports can be very inexpensive to attend.
The venues are usually close and while there could be some traffic around game time, it’s not like a massive pro sports crowd.
High school sports season tickets usually run about $100 a year, while college sports can run more than $400. Pro sports can cost up to $1,000 or more.
High school basketball, for example, can include 25 to 35 games, not all of them home games. Most weeks during the fall and winter, fans can watch the team play at least once.
High school baseball during the spring and summer (March to June, depending on the region), can mean an enjoyable afternoon. Take a lawn chair!
In some parts of the country, high school football is as big (or bigger) than college football and the games are full of color and energy. The season depends on the region, but generally runs from August to November.