(07-28-2017 06:39 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(07-28-2017 02:41 PM)calvin12 Wrote:  

(07-26-2017 08:46 PM)cagy cager Wrote:  they don't have babysitters anymore? or grandparents?

I like to actually spend time with her, so I'd rather stay with her than leave her. As for other watching her, my relatives are all dead, the inlaws in another state. Things like this aren't an issue when games are on Saturdays.

Although it was not necessary for you to defend your answer, kudos Calvin12 for injecting reality into the equation. With all due respect, cagy, perhaps the administration (past, present and future) need to at least consider everyone's opinion and perspective. Take a household with two young ones and deal with the economics of hiring a babysitter or imposing on a relative versus buying four tickets, paying for parking, buying concessions to keep the kids happy, making bathroom trips with those kids, dealing with their fatigue or discomfort if conditions are less than ideal, versus not attending at all, particularly when it's a weeknight. So what's the best solution to that puzzle?

Understand that if you're a parent you probably can't always do what you want?

(07-28-2017 06:39 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(07-28-2017 02:41 PM)calvin12 Wrote:  

(07-26-2017 08:46 PM)cagy cager Wrote:  they don't have babysitters anymore? or grandparents?

I like to actually spend time with her, so I'd rather stay with her than leave her. As for other watching her, my relatives are all dead, the inlaws in another state. Things like this aren't an issue when games are on Saturdays.

Although it was not necessary for you to defend your answer, kudos Calvin12 for injecting reality into the equation. With all due respect, cagy, perhaps the administration (past, present and future) need to at least consider everyone's opinion and perspective. Take a household with two young ones and deal with the economics of hiring a babysitter or imposing on a relative versus buying four tickets, paying for parking, buying concessions to keep the kids happy, making bathroom trips with those kids, dealing with their fatigue or discomfort if conditions are less than ideal, versus not attending at all, particularly when it's a weeknight. So what's the best solution to that puzzle?

Not to parent shame, but I'm guessing one of the least desireable customers for many business' are families with young children. Because of the reasons you just listed. Lots of amenities and needs, but not a lot of spending. Especially relative to 21-40 yr old males. The target audience. What's the family section at wrigley field, maybe 5% of capacity? It would be much higher if it made money. The argument that your building fans from a young age is a bit of a reach. Kids change so much through jr high and HS, what happened when they were 8 is probably nothing more than fond memories. NIU can't afford to lose any fans, but I have to imagine they have a priority on which fans they want to market to along with the other dynamics of scheduling.

(07-28-2017 08:20 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(07-28-2017 06:39 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(07-28-2017 02:41 PM)calvin12 Wrote:  

(07-26-2017 08:46 PM)cagy cager Wrote:  they don't have babysitters anymore? or grandparents?

I like to actually spend time with her, so I'd rather stay with her than leave her. As for other watching her, my relatives are all dead, the inlaws in another state. Things like this aren't an issue when games are on Saturdays.

Although it was not necessary for you to defend your answer, kudos Calvin12 for injecting reality into the equation. With all due respect, cagy, perhaps the administration (past, present and future) need to at least consider everyone's opinion and perspective. Take a household with two young ones and deal with the economics of hiring a babysitter or imposing on a relative versus buying four tickets, paying for parking, buying concessions to keep the kids happy, making bathroom trips with those kids, dealing with their fatigue or discomfort if conditions are less than ideal, versus not attending at all, particularly when it's a weeknight. So what's the best solution to that puzzle?

Not to parent shame, but I'm guessing one of the least desireable customers for many business' are families with young children. Because of the reasons you just listed. Lots of amenities and needs, but not a lot of spending. Especially relative to 21-40 yr old males. The target audience. What's the family section at wrigley field, maybe 5% of capacity? It would be much higher if it made money. The argument that your building fans from a young age is a bit of a reach. Kids change so much through jr high and HS, what happened when they were 8 is probably nothing more than fond memories. NIU can't afford to lose any fans, but I have to imagine they have a priority on which fans they want to market to along with the other dynamics of scheduling.

Still trying to figure out which fans they are actually marketing to...

(07-28-2017 10:22 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(07-28-2017 08:20 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(07-28-2017 06:39 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(07-28-2017 02:41 PM)calvin12 Wrote:  

(07-26-2017 08:46 PM)cagy cager Wrote:  they don't have babysitters anymore? or grandparents?

I like to actually spend time with her, so I'd rather stay with her than leave her. As for other watching her, my relatives are all dead, the inlaws in another state. Things like this aren't an issue when games are on Saturdays.

Although it was not necessary for you to defend your answer, kudos Calvin12 for injecting reality into the equation. With all due respect, cagy, perhaps the administration (past, present and future) need to at least consider everyone's opinion and perspective. Take a household with two young ones and deal with the economics of hiring a babysitter or imposing on a relative versus buying four tickets, paying for parking, buying concessions to keep the kids happy, making bathroom trips with those kids, dealing with their fatigue or discomfort if conditions are less than ideal, versus not attending at all, particularly when it's a weeknight. So what's the best solution to that puzzle?

Not to parent shame, but I'm guessing one of the least desireable customers for many business' are families with young children. Because of the reasons you just listed. Lots of amenities and needs, but not a lot of spending. Especially relative to 21-40 yr old males. The target audience. What's the family section at wrigley field, maybe 5% of capacity? It would be much higher if it made money. The argument that your building fans from a young age is a bit of a reach. Kids change so much through jr high and HS, what happened when they were 8 is probably nothing more than fond memories. NIU can't afford to lose any fans, but I have to imagine they have a priority on which fans they want to market to along with the other dynamics of scheduling.

Still trying to figure out which fans they are actually marketing to...

They are too, b/c everytime they try something new it doesn't work. Probably means it's not an NIU problem.

(07-28-2017 07:01 PM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  

(07-28-2017 06:39 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(07-28-2017 02:41 PM)calvin12 Wrote:  

(07-26-2017 08:46 PM)cagy cager Wrote:  they don't have babysitters anymore? or grandparents?

I like to actually spend time with her, so I'd rather stay with her than leave her. As for other watching her, my relatives are all dead, the inlaws in another state. Things like this aren't an issue when games are on Saturdays.

Although it was not necessary for you to defend your answer, kudos Calvin12 for injecting reality into the equation. With all due respect, cagy, perhaps the administration (past, present and future) need to at least consider everyone's opinion and perspective. Take a household with two young ones and deal with the economics of hiring a babysitter or imposing on a relative versus buying four tickets, paying for parking, buying concessions to keep the kids happy, making bathroom trips with those kids, dealing with their fatigue or discomfort if conditions are less than ideal, versus not attending at all, particularly when it's a weeknight. So what's the best solution to that puzzle?

Understand that if you're a parent you probably can't always do what you want?

I absolutely *can* go to the game. I'll choose to not attend so I can spend time with my family since the scheduling of this, and many other games is crappy.

(07-28-2017 08:20 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  Not to parent shame, but I'm guessing one of the least desireable customers for many business' are families with young children. Because of the reasons you just listed. Lots of amenities and needs, but not a lot of spending. Especially relative to 21-40 yr old males.

The argument that your building fans from a young age is a bit of a reach. Kids change so much through jr high and HS, what happened when they were 8 is probably nothing more than fond memories.

I think you have that backwards. People bringing in kids are the ones buying the crappy pizza, watered down pop and candy. They are also the ones who are buying the stuffed animal souvenirs and that stuff (not that NIU has that in the stadium like most places). When it was just me and my wife we'd each get a drink at the game, we'd go out before or after the game for food. I can guarantee when my daughter is older shes going to begging for some popcorn, or a hot dog, or pizza etc. while sitting at a game for almost 4 hours. She'll be asking for the winter dog hat with the long brands on it, that's not stuff focused on the adults at the game. The only thing 21-40yo males are buying is beer, which until recently was not available in the stadium anyway.

Those fond memories are exactly what they are selling and banking on. Sure most won't go to NIU (or any school that they went to games at as a kid) But if they ahve those fond memories then might keep going to a game or 2 a year as adults just to relive that joy, and then wind up taking their kids.

(07-28-2017 08:20 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  Not to parent shame, but I'm guessing one of the least desireable customers for many business' are families with young children. Because of the reasons you just listed. Lots of amenities and needs, but not a lot of spending. Especially relative to 21-40 yr old males. The target audience. What's the family section at wrigley field, maybe 5% of capacity? It would be much higher if it made money. The argument that your building fans from a young age is a bit of a reach. Kids change so much through jr high and HS, what happened when they were 8 is probably nothing more than fond memories. NIU can't afford to lose any fans, but I have to imagine they have a priority on which fans they want to market to along with the other dynamics of scheduling.

Maybe so, but I have 3 daughters. Two are college age. We starting taking them to games when they were very young. They do not attend NIU, but still want to go to NIU games. They follow NIU not the colleges they attend. My oldest is driving back for the Boston College game and wishes she could make more games. She stayed up to live stream the Wyoming game last year, something not even I was able to do.