By Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun
Get ready, sports fans: the newest team in town kicks off its season this Friday! Be the first to see Arena Football League (AFL) action in Washington, DC, and watch history be made. The game, April 7, 2017, at 7 pm, sees Washington Valor take on the Baltimore Brigade at Verizon Center in the inaugural game for both franchises.
In a metro area with professional baseball, basketball, hockey, football, and soccer teams, sports fans abound so it’s great to get another team. The Valor presents an opportunity to see professional football played in an all-weather, more intimate environment and at lower cost than National Football League (NFL) games. Tickets to the Washington Valor start as low as $21, so if taking the family to a Redskins game has not been feasible — or you just can’t wait for the fall — this is a good option. And how does arena football differ from an NFL game?
The big difference is the smaller setting that enables you to see more of the game up close, no matter where you are: the arena football is 50 yards long, or half the length of an NFL game field. The width of the field and the goal posts are also about half the width of an NFL field, and the teams are also smaller (20-person rosters with 8 on the field). The game is played the same way, with just some slightly different rules, and the AFL uses a football of the same size and weight the NFL does.
In short, at an arena football game, you’ll watch the type of game you are used to seeing at a stadium, but in an enclosed environment with a smaller playing field that allows for a faster, higher-scoring event and unique experience, says Jawanza Robinson, group events specialist for Monumental Sports & Entertainment. But more than that, he says, “One of the things that makes this event stand out more is the level of player and fan interaction. After every home game, fans can meet the players and get photos and autographs.”
Attending a Washington Valor game is a great outing for families and large groups, he says, with many “fan experience” packages offered. For example, with group sales of 50 tickets or more, the group can choose to have one of its members sing the national anthem, have all in a “high-five tunnel” with players, and more. Group tickets start at $45 each for lower level or $20 for club level.
A special deal you won’t need a big group for, Robinson says, is the Bud Light Party Zone. This “ultimate indoor tailgate pack will be a popular choice, with an all-inclusive buffet with unlimited beer, wine and soda until the end of the third quarter in the Bud Light Party Zone; lower-level package tickets are $49 (for more details or to book your package, send an email or call 202-527-7501).
Even individual ticket purchases can get a good deal thanks to this offer they’ve shared with us: just use this link and enter promo code JRVALOR to score discounted tickets at just $20 each. A Washington Valor T-Shirt comes with every ticket purchase as well! If you can’t make it to the opening game, here are all the home games this season at Verizon Center (also see the full schedule below). Best of all? All home games take place on the weekend, making them easier to attend!
WASHINGTON HOME GAMES:
Friday, April 7, vs. Baltimore, 7 pm
Saturday, April 22, vs. Philadelphia, 7 pm
Saturday, May 13, vs. Tampa, 7 pm
Saturday, May 27, vs. Philadelphia, 1 pm
Saturday, June 3, vs. Cleveland, 7 pm
Saturday, July 22, vs. Baltimore, 7 pm
Saturday, July 29, vs. Cleveland, 7 pm
FULL SCHEDULE:
This is not a compensated or sponsored post. We share the promotion as a benefit to our readers.
Images provided by and (c) of Monumental Sports
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