Ultimate Sports Fan: Easy Solo Trip

Sports Fan Stats

No two sports fans are the same! If you ask me to spit out player, team or organization stats (from their inception)…I’m not your girl!

I’m not clueless nor delusional!

I don’t follow players from college to pro. I may not even know the names of bench players or the full coaching staff.

I’m not athletic. I would rather watch than play.

But when it comes to supporting my team, I’m there. I will try to watch every game of the season if I can’t make it live.

Season Ticket Holder

I buy team merchandise frequently and I’m the closest thing to a season ticket member.

I’m on the mailing lists for special events offers. Some of these events have even included meeting players.

If the Miami Heat fun squad announces a pop-up/road rally at a local spot, in most cases I try to make out.

Almost always, they will pass out goodie bags filled with cool Heat stuff.

I can’t count how many of those bags I own.

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I have never missed any of our championship parades. We’ve had three.

Most of the employees at the American Airlines Arena (AAA; the name will change soon) recognize me by face since I refer to it as my second home.

I like to call myself an ultimate Miami Heat fan.

An ultimate fan gets ‘bonus points’ for being acquainted with the team’s mascot.

I have so many pictures and memories with Burnie. He acts like a big kid and is a ball of fire!

Game Day

The irony is that most of the ‘statistics’ type fans rarely attend games. Not the ones I know anyway.

I would guess that finances play a role.

Factors affecting costs include game type (any games after the regular season will cost more), the opposing team’s popularity/standing, and your team’s ranking.

Attending games frequently doesn’t have to be expensive. I’m in attendance so much that many assume I’m a season ticket holder.

Season ticket membership is one way to save on the costs of game tickets. This would guarantee a seat at every regular-season game.

Priority is given for any other games.

There are payment plans to breakdown the costs.

Members can also sell tickets to games they’re not attending.

The seller determines the value attributed to the ticket hence you can make your money back.

The Winning Ticket

Ticketmaster.com is my outlet of choice when I ‘m unable to buy tickets directly.

TIP: To avoid hefty fees, try to purchase tickets at arena (location).

The website differentiates between direct and resold tickets.

The discounts I receive from the Miami Heat is sufficient for me at this time.

These emails include holiday or special multi-game promotions.

I love that these deals oftentimes exclude the online Ticketmaster fees.

I save on parking by using the street meter compared to the flat rate option.

Thankfully, the City of Miami’s parking system offers a residential discount.

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Half-Time

Arena food can be expensive anywhere, so there are times I may eat before the game or get a light snack (like ice cream) at half time.

Other times I help myself to the various options. YOLO!

I’m not consistent but by downloading the Miami Heat app, you can build points that lower purchased food and merchandise costs.

Any fan would be wise to follow their team’s and favorite player’s social media accounts.

This paid off when Dwyane Wade announced a spontaneous Lids’ meet and greet on his Facebook account.

His invitation casually said to meet him there at a certain time. He was promoting his socks line.

I took his word for it and got the pic below for my efforts.

If you’re a sports fan who hasn’t attended home games, I would start there. The pre-season games are hugely discounted.

Ultimate Fan Status

I want to explain how to take it up a notch to ‘ultimate fan’ status.

Ultimate fan status is when you follow your team on the road in addition to doing all of the above.

I make direct references to the NBA/Miami Heat but the same advice can be used for any sport.

The first step is to find out how much time you can spend away. If you have at least two days, try to learn more about the city the game is being held in.

Earlier this year, I visited Chicago in hopes of attending Dwyane Wade’s final hometown game.

Due to inclement weather, my flight was canceled and I didn’t arrive until the next day.

TIP: Book arrival a day early to avoid missing the game like I did.

One Last Dance

I thought an early morning flight would allow for rescheduling but my trip coincided with air traffic controllers going on strike.

Travel delays are unpredictable. Preparation is one way to easily adjust when they do happen.

Because I had built an itinerary around the game, I still had other tours and landmarks to visit.

I visited Millenium Park, the Navy Pier, did a walking tour, and attended The DuSable Museum of African American History’s MLK Day program.

You can Google “things to do” in the area or look up the city on Trip Advisor.

Depending on your allotted spend, Google free tours or free things to do.

The pic above is of Dwyane Wade’s mural in Little Havana. It’s located at the north wall of Morphē Fitness and Wellness Spa, located at 810 SW 22nd Ave. If interested, get there early since its a very tight spot where cars may be parked. I did a “One Last Dance” photo shoot in his honor.

Floor Seats or Close to it

Seating choices may be based on funds.

I have an out of town rule that I must have decent seats (in the lowest section).

You can’t travel all those miles to sit in the nose bleeds. When I’m home, I allow for more flexibility.

It’s ok to splurge at away games!

Tip: Purchase the additional ticket insurance to ensure a refund in case of travel mishaps.

Before you leave, show your sportsmanship by purchasing your team’s merchandise.

If you already have gear in good condition, then you may not need anything new.

You can check any athletic/team’s store or website.

Many of my Heat t-shirts were giveaways at games.

The Heat have great sponsors and they do this regularly.

Great Sportsmanship

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I don’t recommend entering ‘hostile enemy territory’ without your ‘armor’. It may be a T-shirt, jersey, cap or all of the above.

When I attended a Heat game in Washington, most of the Wizard’s fans were complimenting my Udonis Haslem ‘Home Strong’ (Heat’s military line) jersey.

They recognized greatness in Mr. 305 and had to acknowledge it.

At this same game, the fan who sat in front of me was lightly teasing about the rivalry.

Bring both your sense of humor and courage.

It can be a bit intimidating as a solo traveler to enter the opposing team’s home. But you will get through it just fine!

Solo travelers are all about living fearlessly. This is just another way of accomplishing that goal!

I love my hometown but so far the Amway Center (home of the Orlando Magic) has the best fan experience.

They have the backing of Disney so it makes a lot of sense!

I rank the AAA second.

I’ve felt comfortable supporting the Miami Heat on the road.

Are you an active supporter of your team? If yes, then you’re halfway there to ultimate status!

My goal is to visit every NBA stadium. I don’t want to be the only with bragging rights!

Will you join me…future ultimate sports fan?

~Poof…Bee Gone

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