Review of a Potomac Nationals Minor League Baseball Game
May 29, 2008
by Margo Osborne

Pfitzner Stadium
7 County Complex Ct.
Woodbridge, VA 22192
703.590.2311
Google Map

We did "root root root for the home team." It was a shame shame shame the Potomac Nationals did not win against the Salem Avalanche. Despite the loss, there were more than enough “homeruns” surrounding this experience at Pfitzner Stadium to give it a thumbs up for family friendly and certainly budget friendly fun!

Homeruns

• Not only is the Minor League experience pure fun, it is thrilling to know you are watching some future Major League talent at an important time in their careers. And there is plenty of time to schedule your visit. The last home game isn’t until August 28.
• There is honestly not a bad seat in the stadium. Pfitzner Stadium is easily accessible from the Prince William Parkway Exit off of I-95.
• Reasonable ticket prices do not create a financial burden. Ticket prices range from $7.00 to $13.00 for field box seating, purchase them online. Kids five and under are free for grandstand seating. This is much more of a bargain than a night out at the movie theater. Looking for even more of a deal? Monday nights are always Dollar Monday. All Grandstand tickets and hot dogs are $1. Tickets for Dollar Monday are only available at the box office.
• Fun music and trivia questions (sometimes inaudible over the loud speaker) were enjoyed between the innings. Typically at every game, attendees play sponsored in-game contests, such as push up contests, between the innings. There were extremely generous giveaways on the night we attended because of it being Internet Safety Night. These giveaways were done at the end of the game in lieu of the in-game contests.
• On Saturdays and Mondays, attendees can participate in a tennis ball toss involving hula hoops on the field at the end of the game. To participate, you can buy one tennis ball for $1 or three for $5.
• On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, kids are allowed to run the bases after the fireworks display. This is clearly the highlight of the night for most kids!
• Uncle Slam is an active, engaging, accessible and crowd-pleasing mascot. He spent the majority of his time meeting, greeting and taking pictures with the fans. Check out Uncle Slam's Kids Page on the Potomac Nationals website.
• An incredible full ten-minute fireworks display is offered every Saturday night following the game. It was definitely more entertaining than some of the local July 4th fireworks displays we’ve seen in recent years.
• There are more than enough food and beverage choices for the whole family. Kid favorites appeared to be hot dogs, peanuts, cotton candy and dippin dots. Gatorade and water are the only non-carbonated offerings. There is also a wide variety of restaurants in the vicinity if you choose to eat outside of the stadium.
• For those opposed to alcohol, there is even a family section (Section 4) where alcohol is prohibited. For those not opposed to alcohol, several types of beer are offered.
• Waitresses will take and serve your food and beverage order in the field boxes. This can also be a drawback as there is a lot of foot traffic in this area.
• Before every game, Little Leaguers can participate in a program called Field of Dreams, where they run onto the field with the Nationals before the National Anthem. More detailed information can be found at the Potomac Nationals website.
• Restrooms were easily accessible, and there is also wheelchair accessible seating that is part of grandstand sections 7-12.
• For kids in need of a break, there is a Nationals Team Store near the restrooms.
• The whole family can enjoy this experience from toddlers to great grandparents. My three year-old may not have watched every single play, but there was enough to keep him occupied for over three hours.

Strike outs

• This could also be viewed as a homerun, but kids need to be extremely cautious when it comes to foul balls. One little boy was the victim of a foul ball that first hit a post and then unfortunately his head. Remind your children to be alert, and also bring along their gloves.
• We experienced and also heard several complaints about long and slow-moving concession lines.
• If you have little ones, one strike out may be that they might get sleepy or antsy before the fireworks display and the running of the bases. The fireworks did not start until 9:40pm.

Bottom Line
Our Kids highly recommends a visit to a Potomac Nationals game. The quantity and quality of kid-friendly promotional events is near exhausting. Check out the Potomac Nationals website and you will understand. For example, the upcoming May 31 game against the Kinston Indians will feature an outdoor expo, fireworks, Busch Gardens Family Fun Card Night, Kids Run the Bases, and a visit from George Washington. Exhausting, But Fun! You might fall asleep along with your kids on the drive home, but you will know that you experienced far more homeruns than strike outs at the Pfitz!

Have you been to a Potomac Nationals Baseball Game? What's your opinion? Just drop us a note and Our Kids will add your comments to this review.

Our Kids Reader Comments:

• "A note about the Potomac Nationals and attending with children. My family attended last month during Reston Little League day with our two children ages 2 1/2 and 5 1/2. My son, 5 1/2, fell in the bleachers and split his head open. While the accident was in no way the fault of the stadium, their response was unforgiveable. They have absolutely no first aid for the stadium. There is a sign indicating a first aid station, but there is no first aid station. As we all know, head wounds bleed an incredible amount and in this case there was so much blood that we couldn't tell how bad the injury was. We ended up having to call an ambulance because the only first aid tools available were wads of paper towels and a bag of ice from the concession stand. Thankfully our son is fine now. However, I would not consider the stadium to be family friendly in any way. They should at the very least have first aid available considering all the foul balls that come into the stands (as mentioned in your review), the alcohol being served, the heat, and the number of families in attendance. I'm sure we aren't the first to experience an injury requiring treatment." - Jennifer W.
  
  Our Kids Note: Our Kids tried to contact the Potomac Nationals to inquire about first aid availability; but we did not receive any response.