For sports fans, sometimes watching a game on the TV isn’t enough. Being a part of the sports event and cheering on favorite players on in person is a much more satisfying experience. Seeing every move as it happens gives a whole new outlook on sports when it’s at high speeds. Imagine, being at a baseball game, such as the Daytona Cubs Minor League team, and seeing a baseball fly out of the pitcher’s hands at speeds as low as 50 mph.

All eyes are on the ball following its every move, seeing it being hit into the outfield and hitting the ground, being fumbled and thrown around to every base; all while keeping an eye on the batter to make sure he doesn’t make his way to the home plate before they get the ball back in. All of this excitement, watching a minor league baseball game in person, only costs $6 a ticket. All the while getting the smell of peanuts, hotdogs, and the chance to take a ball home; this is the same experience as the major league games.

Who says sports have to be expensive?

Hockey, soccer, and football all can be watched—for as little as $10. Sure, they may only be minor league teams, or an arena styled game, but sports don’t change in the essence of the game even if their title does; such as our hockey team, the Florida Panthers. Their tickets can be only $13 when they play at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, FL. Although this is such a far drive because it is near to Ft. Lauderdale, not many ice stadiums are capable of holding a hockey game in Florida.

While ice hockey isn’t a popular sport in the sunshine state, soccer is. The Orlando Lion’s tickets are $12 for a single game ticket in the supporters section. Sophomore, Shaunak Pandya, would go to a soccer game because he is a soccer player himself. Now for football, a big Seminole favorite, the Orlando Predators play at the Amway Arena for $10 tickets, if the right seats are picked. Although it’s not as big as the NFL, the AFL, Arena Football League, is just as fun to watch.

So, next time a sport worth watching in person comes along, chose the minor league instead. Paying hundreds of dollars just to watch a sports game isn’t worth it. Although, watching the majors are more official, there’s still memorabilia, food, and parking to pay for, which will be too much out of pocket expenses. The minor league teams have the same rules, the same excitement levels, and the same experiences, just at a cheaper price. It may not be worth hundreds of dollars more to attend a major league game, and IB sophomore Philip Hannoush agrees he would go to a minor league game if it were to save money. But, he has the same opinion as sophomore Markus Engram, who both think that major league is more fun because they’re more experienced. Engram also likes it because “you don’t have to worry about being scouted to be able to move to a higher level.”

Maybe it is worth a more experienced game, but if it isn’t, save the extra money to buy a keepsake that will be worth remembering.