Today we are venturing out of the East Valley to experience arena football. Here are our best tips and tricks for taking your children to Desert Diamond Arena in the West Valley for an Arizona Rattlers football game.
Arena football is an exciting sporting event for kids because everything is up close and personal. There are no sidelines and footballs often fly up into the stands.
Get ready to make some memories with your littles!
XO,
Barbara
Tickets
Tickets are required for ages 2 and up. We decided to get tickets behind the field goal in hopes to catch a football flying into the stands. The Rattlers bench was also directly in front of where we were sitting (Sections 118/119). Tickets were $15 but after all of those Ticketmaster fees we paid a total of $75.60 for 3 seats.
If you are using a POGO pass for FREE tickets choose your seats ASAP once they are claimed. Desert Diamond Arena does this differently and the best seats always go first. (More about the POGO pass and all the free attractions you get access to here)
Parking
We did not buy parking in advance and paid $40 for Lot G which is just east of the arena and a short walk to the entrance. Parking lots open 4 hours before the game and tailgating is permitted in Lot G. Each parking lot varies in cost.
Bag Policy
We were allowed to bring our diaper bag in. Crossbodies, wallets, wristlets and clutches are permitted as long as they are no larger than 4.5” x 6.5”. More about their bag policy here.
Touchdowns and Field Goals
There is a loud canon that goes off when the Rattlers score a touchdown so beware for those little ears! I of course jumped every time while the two and four year old were totally fine. Footballs can and will fly up into the stands so you may take home a souvenir you weren’t expecting! If you sit behind the field goal your chances of catching a football are high.
Game Day Activities for Kids
Stryker, the team’s mascot, walks around during the game for photos with the littles. The Sidewinders Dance Team keeps the crowd entertained throughout the game. Players and members of the dance team sign autographs on the field after the game. The referees have coins and they will sometimes give them to the kids.
In between quarters and during timeouts we saw t-shirt tosses, opportunities to be on the jumbotron, and fans threw out small white footballs onto the field for donating to the 50/50 Raffle. On the day we went the halftime show was put on by AZ Turn and Burn R/C Racing Store. My boys especially loved this!
Food and Drink
Our boys enjoyed the Wetzel’s Pretzels stand and candy at the snack bar. Outside food is not permitted, however, you may bring in sealed water bottles. They also allowed us to bring in the water bottles for the boys that we had in the diaper bag.
Team Merchandise
Before going to the game I looked for AZ Rattlers gear around a few stores but was unsuccessful. There were a couple of merchandise tables set up around the arena and they sold out of toddler and youth sizes by the time I went back to purchase.
Timing
We arrived for the 3pm kick off around 2:30pm and left around 5:15pm with two very tired, yet happy, toddlers.
For more up to date information you can visit the AZ Rattlers official website: https://azrattlers.com/.
For more tips on bringing kids to professional sporting in Arizona, check out these blog posts:
