Elizabeth Botello sounds off on bleacher life …


Please enjoy this post from our intern. I told you it would be good. By the way, I didn’t know what “PDA” means. If you need a quick lesson in urban dictionary, please let me know and I will provide the definition.

Last month, I had to cover a few high school softball games around the Valley. I definitely don’t look my age-23. People mistake me for just another high school girl. But besides that, when it was time to sit and watch the games, I decided to join the fans on the stands.

It’s been five years since I’ve seen any kind of high school sport played. These games were an eye-opener, to say the least, in witnessing a new breed of “teenage fans.”

I guess one of the biggest changes is the very open PDA. I mean, it was happening right next to me. As I jotted down plays in my scorebook, it was hard to not glance over at the teenage couple, locking lips in the open or underneath a ratty t-shirt.

They were literally, inches away from me.

And another thing, high school fans know how to make an entrance. They’ll either chat for most of the game, leave between innings or actually watch the game. They are an electic mix of fans under the age of 18. But what they do share in common is their sense in fashion.

Huge diamond studs were in a few of the guys’ ears. Girls came out wearing tight shirts and perfect hairdos – in case their crush happened to be present.

Lastly, the profanity when cheering! I mean, if the kids were for the home team, they would shout bad words to the away players – out loud.

Keep in mind, these scenarios didn’t happen in all the games I covered. But besides these negatives, high school teams should be happy about something. When they make it to CIF playoffs, their fellow students will bring their glamorous selves to the game and cheer.

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