b"DALLAS STARSWhen the Minnesota North Stars came to Dallas and played their first game as the Dallas Stars in 1993, the franchise was probably wondering if hockey could prosper down here.Dallas fans have certainly proved they can support a hockey team.Early games focused on educating the hockey novices in the arena through videos explaining what the penalty calls meant.Fans dont need explanations anymore.Stars fans have made them one of the most successful sports franchises in the city.The team has made 14 postseason appearances and captured eight division championships, two Presidents' Trophies, and of course the Stanley Cup in 1999. Shannon Flohr and her husband Austin had one of their first dates at a Stars game.This is a couple who loves the team.The atmosphere at American Airlines when the Stars are playing is something I cant even explain. When Im there, it feels like home. Other than home, its my favorite place to be, she says.Shannon is a teacher, and all of her students know how much she loves the Stars.She even has a Stars area in her classroom to show off all her team swag.Shes been known to keep the students up-to-date with the teams playoff standings with daily updates on the whiteboard.DALLAS MAVERICKSWhen the NBA announced in 1979 that theyd be expanding to Dallas for the 1980-81 season, they expressed concern that Texas could support three basketball teams.No concerns now. At one point, the Mavericks had the longest running sellout streak in North American major league sports.Of course, real fans just call them the Mavs, and any Mavs fan will tell you the biggest highlight was when the team won the National Championship in 2011.You also cant talk about the Mavericks without talking about Dirk Nowitzki.His retirement at the end of last season ended a 21-year professional career with one team and marked him among the sports elite players.For Lovejoy high-schooler Garrett Larson, the fast pace of the game drew him to the sport.I love watching basketball because the play never stopsits always continuous action with constant scoring, he says.Hes been a Mavs fan since he was just a little guy and remembers cheering them on during their 2011 run.His favorite memory?Watching Vince Carter hit a fade-away three pointer to win a playoff game against the Spurs, Garrett recalls.He loves when his mom scores tickets to the suite from her firm.Continued on next page GoodLifeFamilyMag.comNOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2019 59"