On Saturday my family headed to Harrison, New Jersey to watch the New York Red Bulls take on Philadelphia Union. The Red Bulls won 2-1. It was a great game.

I was initially a little worried about taking Emory to a place where he might need to sit still for longer than 10 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised by how well behaved he was! Not only did he sit relatively still, but he actually watched the game. We had an excellent time. It was a wonderful day.

That’s why I’m writing today. I should mention upfront that I’m not getting free tickets for writing this or anything of the sort. I’m writing this because short of begging, I’m not sure what else to do to get more people to realize what it is they’re missing—especially those with children; you’re missing out on something awesome. I had no idea how family-friendly Red Bull Stadium would be! So, I’m guessing that others might not be aware of it either.

Getting There

My kid loves choo-choos but I was still concerned about getting to and from the game. It was a cinch. This was my second visit to Red Bull Stadium; the first time I went alone. Each time getting there and back has been a breeze. I live in Brooklyn, so I have to go through Manhattan and then into New Jersey. The whole trip took less than a hour. That includes walking to and from the subway/Path.

The trip back takes even less time because New Jersey Transit has extra trains lined up for immediately following the game. I was impressed with how easy it was to board the Path train on our way home. They really have it figured out.

For the first game, I was back within 40 minutes. Yesterday we got back in 50—and that’s because I can barely walk these days given the stress fracture and all.

Point is: it’s well worth the commute. And if you have little people, there’s not much in the way of walking. The longest walk is from the Path train to the stadium where you have to walk two blocks.

The Game

The game is short compared to most baseball and football games, so if you wanted to see how your kid’s gonna behave in a stadium setting, soccer is the perfect launching pad. Each half is 45 minutes (obviously!) with a 15-minute break in-between. Plus, there’s room enough on the concourse to run around if they get unruly. (And parents: you can still see the game from there!)

The Atmosphere

I was floored by how many children there were at this game. Seriously. There were babies ranging from newborns dangling from their parent’s chest; there were kids my son’s age—between 2 and 3. There were kids everywhere. No joke. I haven’t seen that many kids in one place since we left Disney. (Worry not my kidless friends, there’s also a great deal of drinking, fun and fried food for those who couldn’t care less about the little people.) And if your tickets are nearby to the supporters’ section—as ours are—you’re in for an even bigger treat.

The stadium is brand spanking new. It opened on March 27th. It’s super nice, clean. The bathrooms are spotless. It’s just nice. I’m not sure what more to say.

The Expense

Tickets to a Red Bulls game are relatively cheap, in my opinion and well worth the fun. And the stadium is brand new, clean and accommodating.

Tickets range anywhere from 20 dollars up to 45.  20 bucks! That’s totally worth it, I assure you. Yesterday was worth a great deal more to me than 20 bucks.

There’s even a family pack where you get 4 tickets at a discounted price as well as 20 bucks credit to concession and/or merchandise.

In Summation

I just want to see more people come out and watch and support soccer. We have some great teams and they need our support. With the World Cup just around the corner, I think it’s time. It’s time to start America’s heart with the desire to watch and support soccer.

Come out and join us! My brother has offered to buy everyone beer and fried food—everyone. ;] I’ll bring the Pepcid.

(All photographs in this post were taken by my brother, Ryan except for the one of Emory and me.)