Meet at the Mariucci

Today was my very first time in the Mariucci Arena on the University of MN campus.  After attending school there on and off for sixteen years, it was about time.  I never got a chance to play softball for the U of M, but I did play on the soccer team.  I wish I could say I got a Division 1 scholorship, but in 1990, soccer at the U of M was still just a club sport and they really needed a goalie.  In all those years, I'd walked by the Mariucci arena hundreds of times.  So, sitting in the stands today with Johnny and his friend was a special moment.  

However, it wasn't what I had anticipated when thinking about our first arena trip.  There were no burley hockey players checking each other into the boards, the fans were relatively quiet, and the score board was very small.  It was the First Robotics Regional Meet where our Fighting Calculators from Math and Science Academy with their three foot robot, built and programmed by the team, competes against other school's robots by earning points for completing a series of tasks.  I wish I could say we were there to support our school, but the real reason Johnny and his friend wanted to go was for the extra credit they received in science class for attending and asking questions of the team.  I'm not sure if I'm more surprised that we watched Lego Robotocis at the Mariucci or if we drove all the way to Minneapolis during rush hour traffic for ten extra credit points.  I might not ever get used to being the parent of nerdy children, but it will be fun to try.