This weekend is the “Homecoming Weekend” at USC. For my non-American friends, “homecoming” is the annual event at a school or university, during which many of the school’s alumni return for a visit. At American universities, this weekend is centered around a football game. It has been a couple years since I’ve been able to get back to USC in the fall for a game, but this year I was determined to make it happen.
Homecoming or not, football game days at my university are always big days. Trojan football is steeped in more tradition most any other sports organization; my dad, for example, went to school at a rival university, yet I grew up playing with my Trojan cheerleader doll and dancing around the house to the sounds of his USC marching band record. Win or lose, Trojans have an unmistakeable pride in the USC tradition, but in recent years, our football team has been producing the results to back up this attitude. When I was there, the swimmers’ performance had to make up for the football team’s shortcomings. But, when we had enough energy after Saturday morning’s training session, we went to the game anyways–mainly to socialize.
This weekend will be Maiki’s first Trojan (this is what we USC people call ourselves, after the school mascot) football experience–in fact his first American football experience, period. I have been prepping him for it. He still can’t believe that there will be twice as many fans in attendance as at most German soccer matches. 
We are working on our game-day outfits, and I have explained to him a bit about concepts like “tailgating,” or pre- and post-game eating and drinking–theoretically out of the back of a car, hence the name . . . This weekend I will have the pleasure of sharing these American traditions with not one, but two Euros! In addition to a reunion with some of my old USC Swim Team girls, I also get to have a reunion with Sam Renouf, a Brit and one of my old Sutto squad training partners. He is in town for business , so we are bringing him to the game– which he still refers to as “footie”. And of course Mom, Dad, and Cameron are all ready for a big day back in “Trojan Country.” Can’t wait to visit my old stomping grounds.
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It is going to be overwhelming for GCM
Trying to understand football is not an easy thing to do. There are more rules in football than any other sport, I think.
Girl, I still say you’re missed out on the true college football experience by leaving Ann Arbor for Trojan land
GO Blue!
Hope to see you in Az next week!!
Take him to the water polo game at 11am first, then head over to the game.