When sports fans pay to watch a high school football match, they expect to be sitting on the bleachers, cheering on their team by the time the first whistle blows. However, many fans, students, parents and staff often experience the opposite of this. They face long, inefficient lines at the entrance and oversold tickets. Parents grow anxious about missing key moments of the game, students get restless and staff members become overwhelmed trying to manage the situation. The excitement of supporting their team is overshadowed by the disorganization, creating a negative experience for everyone.
The Coral Gables Senior High and Miami Senior High football game on Sept. 13 experienced these issues, which served as an example of these organizational failures. Right from the beginning, the game was completely off schedule. Instead of starting at 7:30 p.m., the game started at 9 p.m., due to the weather. Even then, many people were unable to enter the game until halftime because they were stuck in the long, uncomfortable line.
“The line was way too long. It was irritating and everyone was sweaty, everyone had to be all up on each other. It felt disgusting. I also missed a whole two quarters and it was just such a bad process,” freshman Bellinda Patino said.
Issues like this at football games are nothing new, but this recent instance raises concerns on how the ticketing and organization at these games could be improved. Students have always faced overcrowded lines, with oversold tickets and not enough staff to handle everyone trying to enter, and problems are not limited to just one event, as they multiple different games. Spectators often find themselves frustrated as they go through long waits and confusion just to get through the gates.
”I had to wait so long to get inside, and I ended up missing half the game. The line was barely moving and it was so irritating. It was obvious they did not have enough staff to handle everyone. I think they should hire more people or have parents volunteer cause it was so chaotic,” freshman Brandon Stewart said.
While high school football games are exciting and bring the community together in support of the team, the anticipation of the game is often overshadowed by the unsystematic process and safety concerns. Fans come to these events looking for a break from their routine, yet are forced to experience these dilemmas. No matter how entertaining the game may be, these issues will remove from the excitement and possible view time of the game.
“I felt like the line was not really safe. It could have led to fainting or even caused fights. I saw lots of people arguing because they were getting shoved. At some point, the line wasn’t even a line, it was just a mosh pit and could have led to so many casualties,” junior Gabriel Veloz said.
When asked, many students had similar concerns, describing the line as suffocating. If they looked around, attendees could see some people forced to push their head above the crowd just for fresh air. With the question of safety and sanity in mind, many were so upset that they gave up on staying in line and ended up leaving the game instead.
Similarly, overcrowding in the entry lines can lead to trampling, especially in large groups of people. The lack of air in tightly packed areas can cause overheating, dehydration and even fainting, especially during hot or humid weather. Pushing and shoving in jumbled and messy lines may lead to fights or injuries among frustrated fans. In worst-case scenarios, the chaos could even cause the need for emergency services.
“Honestly, it was terrible. I couldn’t breathe properly. Everyone was stepping on each other and even my shoes got dirty. I saw everyone basically suffocating, but other than that, the night was fun,” freshman Manuel Centeno said.
The unorganized entry not only concerned people with comfort and convenience, but also safety. With hundreds of people crammed together into one crowd, it is not difficult to get injured and this situation could have easily escalated into something much more dangerous. The lack of crowd control and accessibility left many feeling uncomfortable, unsafe and vulnerable.
As the fall football season continues, it is clear to many that adjustments need to be made soon so fans can safely and efficiently enter the games. Whether that means more security guards, less tickets to sell or a more organized line, students demand change to make the best use of their ticket. After all, nobody wants to miss half the game, or even risk their safety, just trying to get through the gates.
