by Terry Johnston Editor's Note: This is the second installment in a new feature for our Friday paper called Kids' Day Out. Our goal for this monthly feature by Palo Alto writer Terry Johnston is to provide parents of young children ideas for excursions with their family. The destinations will be within an hour or so from home. If you have ideas for future topics, drop us a line at Palo Alto Weekly, Kids' Day Out, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302. Kids' Day Out appears on the first Friday of every month.
I first realized the San Jose Clash was a big deal when my 9-year-old actually began opening the morning newspaper to look at the latest scores. The new Major League Soccer team, which plays at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, apparently has a lot of fans. It's inaugural game in April drew 31,683 spectators, the largest crowd ever to see a sporting event in San Jose. It was no surprise, then, when my son, a grizzled veteran of the America Youth Soccer Organization, announced that for his 10th birthday he would dearly love to see a real Clash game with some of his soccer-playing buddies. Fortunately, the schedule was wide open, with afternoon and evening games scheduled from April right through mid-September (see box below). Basic ticket prices were pretty good, too, just $7 for youth/senior goal-view seats or $12 for adult goal-view seats, with sideline seats starting at $13 and $16 respectively. (Premier seats are $19; Gold Club seats are $35.)
As anyone who saw the 1994 World Cup games at Stanford can tell you, soccer of this caliber is lightning-fast, with footwork that seems to defy gravity. Parents used to watching their children "herd" around the ball in youth soccer matches are in for a revelation. Games run for two 45-minute halves, and except for a 15-minute half-time, the clock never stops, even for most injuries.
The Clash's best-known player is all-time U.S. scoring leader Eric Wynalda. Several other Clash members have played for professional teams internationally, including Michael Emenalo and Ben Iroha of Nigeria, and the team's newest star recruit, Missael Espinoza of Mexico's 1994 World Cup team. The international flavor of the players--and the crowd--has a lot to do with the fun of these games. On the day we saw the Clash play D.C. United, several children near us were draped in the Mexican flag and screaming Espinoza's name as if he were a rock star.
Adding to the excitement was the venue itself. Unlike Stanford Stadium, which has a track between spectators and the field, Spartan Stadium is so intimate, you feel as if you could reach out and touch the players. To the kids' delight, balls frequently were kicked up into the stands. The youngsters also loved the sideline antics of the Clash mascot (a dancing scorpion--go figure), the drum-beating yell-leader Crazy George, and the cannon blast and confetti that accompanied each Clash goal (final score: San Jose 2, D.C. 1). Best of all, the stadium was wonderfully sunny but cool that day, with a light breeze whipping up the colorful banners that dotted the stands.
If you decide to attend a Clash game with your children, be sure to allow at least an hour to get down to San Jose and find a place to park. The best parking spots are on the grass fields just across from the stadium on 10th Street, for $5 a car. Those who park on the street for free should be prepared to walk.
If you want to make a day of it, consider going a couple of hours early and having a Clash tailgate party. All Sunday games are preceded by a four-hour "soccer celebration" on the 10th Street stadium lawn that includes free face painting and "temporary tattoos," an obstacle course, trading card photo booth and soccer skills contests for the kids. You're allowed to take food and drinks into the stadium so long as they are not in glass bottles or cans, or you can buy food there. Small soft drinks go for $1.50; hot dogs for $2.25, less than what you'd find at a Giants' game.
To really get up close and personal with the Clash players, consider taking your children to the Clash's Soccer Day for Kids, from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 13, at Santa Clara University. Activities will include a free soccer clinic for youngsters 5 to 12 years old, practice games, soccer-related booths and prizes, and autograph signing from 3 to 5 p.m. You can sign up for the clinic at the stadium before any home game or at any California Federal Bank. (But hurry. The deadline is July 7.) For more information call 1-800-284-6272.
Finally, for a great soccer experience closer to home, think about attending men's or women's college-level soccer games at Stanford University this fall. The games, played at Maloney Field near Sunken Diamond, run from late August until mid-November (For a schedule, call 1-800-BEAT-CAL). Tickets are $3 for children and seniors or $5 for adults, and they can be purchased right at the gate. Sometimes, youngsters wearing their team soccer uniforms can get in free, but call ahead to be sure.
Last year, we arranged for my son's whole youth soccer team to attend the Stanford v. Air Force men's game, with a potluck picnic supper afterward at nearby Master's Grove. Besides giving the kids a great time, it gave the coaches and referees a chance to point out strategies and rules that the youngsters might think about in their own games.
Who knows? If it works, these kids may be playing professional soccer for the Clash themselves one of these days--and they can drive you all the way to San Jose. Terry Johnston is a Palo Alto freelance writer and the mother of two sons, ages 6 and 10.
Where, When and How: Remaining home games for the Clash this season are at 7:30 p.m. July 6 (New England), 7:30 p.m. July 24 (New York/New Jersey), 4 p.m. Aug. 11 (New England), 7 p.m. Aug. 22 (Dallas), 4 p.m. Aug. 25 (Colorado), 4 p.m. Sept. 1 (Los Angeles), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11 (Dallas) and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18 (Tampa Bay). To save on ticket agency fees, fax your order, along with your credit card number and its expiration date, directly to the San Jose State Event Center Box Office at (408) 924-6395. The tickets will arrive in the mail within a few days. For more information, call the box office directly at (408) 924-6333. You also can purchase tickets at any Soccer World store, BASS ticket outlet, or on game day at the stadium gate. For season and large group ticket information, call (408) 985-GOAL.
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