So look, my kid started freshman year at Ridley High this fall and he’s obsessed with joining the football team. First practice rolled around yesterday, and he goes, “Dad, when are the games? Where do we even go?” Honestly? I had zero clue. Figured I’d find everything quick online. Big mistake.
The Annoying Search Begins
Grabbed my coffee this morning, plopped down at the computer. Typed “ridley high school football schedule” straight into Google. Tons of stuff popped up, sure, but half the links were broken. Clicked one promising “Ridley Raiders Official Athletics” – got a damn page error. Another one tried redirecting me somewhere shady. Closed that tab fast.
Checked the high school’s main website next. Total mess. Found “Athletics” buried under some dropdown menu. Got excited seeing “Fall Sports.” Clicked football… and boom! Last season’s schedule. Like, outdated stuff from 2022! Felt like pulling teeth just finding current info.
Finding Actual Answers
Got stubborn. Started digging deeper in the athletics section. Scrolled past tennis, swimming… finally saw “Football – Varsity.” Bingo! They had a link labeled “2023 Varsity Schedule.” Finally something useful! Here’s the scoop:
- Home Games: All at Phil Marion Field, right behind the main high school building on Eagle Road. Easy parking, supposedly.
- Away Games: Spread out. Garnet Valley, Springfield, Strath Haven… different towns every week.
- First Game: Crazy early – August 25th! Against Downingtown East. Away game, figures. Got the address listed too.
Printed the whole dang schedule out. Old school, right? Kid can tape it to his wall.
The Real MVP Wasn’t Online
Later that day, stopped by the school office to grab a permission slip. Happened to see a stack of bright green papers near the entrance. Glossy football schedules! Right there for anyone to grab. Simple, clear, with dates, times, locations, and even little maps for the away games. Why wasn’t this easier to find online? Felt like I’d run a marathon when I could’ve just walked over and grabbed one.
Honestly, it reminds me why we got stuck paying those “convenience fees” when ordering tickets online for everything now. They make the free, easy stuff harder to find on purpose! Remember back when schedules were printed in the local paper? Or posted on a bulletin board downtown? Seems almost nostalgic now, fighting with broken websites while a stack of paper gets the job done just fine.
Anyway, schedule’s secured. Coffee cold, but mission accomplished. Kid better appreciate the effort! Now, gotta figure out where Downingtown East’s stadium actually is… maybe check that paper map again.