Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Tips for Travellers to Away Games

The Fast Break Club (FBC) Travel committee is delighted that you'll attend some away games. Traveling to cheer the Cardinal Women is a lot of fun. Here are some tips from the experienced travelling fans:

Refer to the FBC Website Travel page for game dates and times and for links to the websites of the teams and hotels. You need to make your plane and hotel arrangements as early as possible. Several trips are close to peak travel days and planes are filling up.

There may be limited rooms available in some team hotels. It isn't essential to be in the team's hotel (tho it's cool to meet players in the elevator or hallway!). The team hotel lobby is usually the starting point for fan activities and its bar is the usual post-game meeting place. If you can't get into the team hotel, you can usually find space in a nearby hotel.

For most road trips an FBC trip coordinator is designated. As soon as you have decided to attend a game, send an email to the FBC Contact for that trip (mail-to links are on the travel page). Let the coordinator know you will be attending and give them your hotel, and your cell-phone number if you carry one.

For some games, the travel coordinator will be able to pre-buy tickets; let them know if you want to get tickets from them. (At many sites you can purchase tickets at the door, but for Tennessee, Oregon, and a few others you need to buy ahead to sit with the other fans -- or to get in at all, in Tennessee.) Money for tickets usually must be paid three weeks before the games. You must make arrangements to pick up the tickets from the coordinator.

The travel coordinator can put you in contact with others who are traveling. Often, travelling fans get together for a meal, to hear a post-game talk from a coach, or for other activities. The travel coordinator will know about these plans and will help people get together for them (that's why they need your cell number).

If a coordinator does not go on the trip, the travel coordinator will try to appoint a travel host to be the onsite coordinator for activities. Remember to bring your Cardinal-colored clothes and your "full voice" to be heard over the home team's fans!