I love sports! One of my favorite sports is basketball. Many others in my family are basketball fans too. We all love the atmosphere and watching live basketball in the arena. So, we decided to buy season tickets for the Sacramento Kings! However, due to my peanut allergy, we had to research how to be safe and avoid an allergic reaction.
Whenever I go to an NBA game, my mom usually puts my EpiPens in her bag. Most NBA arenas allow bags that are fourteen inches by fourteen inches by six inches or smaller. At the Golden One Center in Sacramento, however, bags can’t be larger than eight inches by six inches by one inch. Make sure that your bag is the appropriate size so that you are not disappointed when you’re turned away. Once we reach the arena, we have to put the bag in an x-ray machine and also tell the security guards that we are bringing an EpiPen. I always bring my EpiPen so I don’t have to worry if I have an allergic reaction.
Once that is all settled, we walk inside the arena and go to the food stands that we know are allergy friendly. We know this because we have googled or called the vendors to check their allergy policies. If we don’t know their allergy policy, we usually stay away. When I go to NBA games, they don't allow outside snacks in the arenas. However, when I go to NFL games, they do. Once you enter the arena and go to the food vendor, remember to double-check their food allergy policy and tell them about your food allergy. You never know if they will change their menus before the game. If you tell them about your food allergy, they could protect your food from possible cross-contamination.
​I hope that this information can help you feel safer when attending a sporting event. Just remember, always double-check with the arena you will visit about their food allergy and bag policies before you go there.