Surviving Football Season in the South

When my husband proposed in March of 2013 and we started looking at potential wedding dates and venues for that fall, I found a venue that I loved and they were offering a discount on an available date for that fall because of a huge event that was happening that weekend in the city we lived in. I was so excited to tell my future husband the news only to be quickly told that was the weekend the VOLS played such and such.

Wait. What?!

At that point I had been dating my husband for four years, so I knew how much he loved his team. But was he seriously telling me that we couldn’t get MARRIED because of a FOOTBALL GAME?! From that day on I knew that my life would forever be full of compromises during football season. It really baffles me how my husband can remember some play from a game he watched when he was eight, but seriously cannot remember to take the trash to the street on Wednesdays. He LOVES sports. Not only does he love football, but in the spring, he’s a high school baseball coach. My life revolves around sport schedules and games and practices and workouts.

Don’t get me wrong; I love a good excuse to dress up and make finger foods, but here are some tips for how we manage “doing it all in the fall:”

#1. Pick a game to attend

This year was looking at the schedule and picking a game that we wanted to go to. We have two small kids so, while we would love to have season tickets, it’s just not feasible for this season of our life. We don’t want to pawn our kids off on family or friends every Saturday, so I let my husband pick one game and now we have something to look forward to on our calendar. We can plan to get a sitter for the day so we can tailgate with our friends, we get to experience the atmosphere in the stadium, and it helps us stay on budget and still have fun!

#2. Host watch parties

Now that more of my friends are starting their own families, it’s a lot easier to get together to watch games than tote a bunch of toddlers to a tailgate. I like to host everyone at my house so I can put my kids to bed if they get tired and everyone wants to keep hanging out. We have started hosting watch parties where everyone can bring an appetizer and their kids, and we can play outside and hangout while the guys watch the game. However, if you are brave enough to take your kids to games, check out this post about tailgating with kids. 

#3. RSVPing

What happens at your house when an invite to a party or a wedding shows up for the same time as a broadcasted football game? My husband throws ours in the trash. Just kidding. But seriously, it’s like a major conversation at my house about what we are going to commit to. The fall can be a really busy time, and while I want to honor my husband’s love for the game, there has to be some give and take. It seems so silly, but we have really started to compromise on what we say yes to. If I know it’s a big game that my husband really doesn’t want to miss, I will just take my girls solo to the party. If it’s an event that I really don’t want my girls to miss, then my hubby knows he can watch his twitter feed and stream the game from his phone. The point is, we try to respect each other’s plans and prioritize what’s going to best for our family. PS: Never invite us to anything on the 3rd Saturday in October.

#4. Let it go

Elsa said it best. There are things I am passionate about that I am sure my husband does not understand. While sometimes it can get really frustrating that a sporting event is so important, I think it also provides a way to show our kids how to support something despite wins and losses. It also provides a sense of community that everyone can have a part in. It can also be the best of both worlds; I can have fun buying orange decorations and football shaped platters, and he can enjoy watching something he loves. Football in the South is no joke, but we are learning how to make it work for our family!

By the way, we did end up getting married that weekend. The VOLS played away so it streamed during my reception. We walked back down the aisle as husband and wife to Rocky Top. Have you had to make compromises for your sports loving husband? We’re lucky they’re cute!