Sports are a big deal in our family. Whether watching or playing, we all love the thrill of a game. My kiddos play multiple sports year-round. When you spend more of your free time at the ballfield than you do at home, there are some things you pick up along the way. These are my top survival tips for sports moms.
Practice Makes Perfect
Do homework on the way to practice. I cannot stress this one enough. Nothing is worse than coming home tired, sweaty, and hangry — and then trying to do algebra. When it takes 30 minutes to get across town for practice at rush hour, that becomes homework “power hour.”
Feed them before AND after practice. Not going to lie, this was the entire reason I wrote this post about local family meal deals. Athletic kids need more fuel than most, and they will eat you out of house and home. I’ve learned that basically having a pre- and post-practice dinner can keep them running. I’ll usually have something significant ready for them after school. Then, if I need to lighten the pressure of trying to get a meal together afterward, and there’s something I can pick up at a discount — bonus points!
Get in position. Keep their gear in a designated space — for us, it’s the mudroom. “Mom, where’s my mouthguard?” “It’s in the mudroom.” “Mom, have you seen my shin guards?” “They’re in the mudroom.” Keeping a safe place for all the things is absolutely critical.
READ: Ode to the Baseball Moms
Remember the name label. We have water bottles *somewhat* designated for practice and games. The game ones are slightly larger and insulated to keep cool, whereas the practice ones are whichever clean ones are on hand (or grabbed from the fridge). They are all labeled with our last name, so in a pinch, a football bottle may go to a soccer game or a running club bottle may find its way to cheer practice — but we know which ones are ours.
Game Day Ready
Lay out equipment beforehand. This one goes back to keeping gear in a designated space (God willing). When you know where things are *supposed* to be, you should theoretically be able to find them in that place and lay them out the night before. This goes for gear, uniforms, balls, the works. Having it first down the night before takes away the last-minute chaos and anyone getting defensive in the morning.
Eat a breakfast of champions. An old trick from my own track and field days (and just a legit excuse to eat pasta) is to carb load the night before. The carbs store in your body and help to prevent you from “hitting a wall” the next day. For breakfast, stick to light bread choices or a banana with a small serving of your favorite protein. Be sure not to overeat on game day morning, or you may see a puke-six (especially on a hot day).
Bring extra shorts. Why did the golfer bring extra pants? In case he got a hole-in-one! No, but for real, bring extra shorts. I can’t tell you how many times someone on our flag teams have had shorts with pockets, red shorts, or shorts with too much red (not allowed). Having an extra pair on hand just in case keeps your QB or best wide receiver on the field and not benched for pants interference.
Bring your other uniform. There have been multiple times when, despite being scheduled as the blue team, they had to switch to white for one reason or another. Bringing your backup jersey prevents your kiddo from having to wear someone’s old ratty tank top they found in their trunk.
Bring an umbrella, an essential power play. You need to have one of these on hand at all times. Whether rain or shine, an umbrella can keep you dry or provide much-needed shade on one of those gorgeous days without a cloud in the sky — despite desperately needing one.
Don’t forget the chairs. I laugh when I say this one because we always, always bring chairs, but I rarely use them. I get too emotionally invested in the game to sit down and have to pace the field as it goes on, but they’re nice to have for breaks and for siblings to sit in.
Think about the siblings. Feral sports siblings are as common as the sports themselves. These poor kiddos get dragged to each practice and game when they couldn’t care less about being there. To prevent the “I’m hot,” “I’m hungry,” ”I’m boreds” — make sure to think of the little bits, too. Pack a bag of snacks, trinkets, coloring pages, bubbles, or anything else you can think of to keep them entertained for at least a little while. (But let’s be honest, they’re going to end up throwing rocks under the bleachers and coming back filthy anyway.)
Pack the blanket (or better yet, just keep it in the trunk). Blankets are a two-fer. If you can wrangle the feral sports siblings long enough to sit, this can be a great place to rest and play. On the flip side, for those two weeks of absolute frozen Florida tundra, a blanket to snuggle up in is an absolute game-changer. As are Hot Hands.
Grab some (more) H2O. I know we talked about water bottles earlier, but these are IN ADDITION to the ones you pack for your players. You’ll need some after all of the cheering, the feral siblings will need some to make mud pies, and someone on the team will for sure forget. Always bring a few extra just in case.
READ: How to Be the Best Athletic Supporter: Tips From a Soccer Mom
Get your game day ‘fit. It may not be designer drips, but your Sports Mom Game Day Fit is super important, too. It needs to be breathable in the summer and warm in the winter, but most of all — comfy! Think a cute hat, athleisure, and cushy shoes. Fields are typically wet with grass clippings, so unless you’re blessed with an indoor sport, you may want to avoid sandals.
Don’t forget those pumped-up (extra) kicks. Last-minute plans always seem to pop up after the game. Make sure to have a spare pair of shoes in the car for your kids to change into. Our go-tos are slides or crocks with socks.
Print out the lineup (aka the schedule). My All-Star came up with this one last season. She didn’t like having to ask what time her game was, what color to wear, and what field we were on, so she asked that I print out the schedule and keep it in her bag — where it belongs!
Fans! Again, another two-fer to have on hand (three-fer if you count the siblings entertaining themselves by talking into them). Fans will be a lifesaver for those blistering hot doubleheaders for you and a player who may be overheated. The constant air flow also keeps the no-see-ums at bay.
Sports medicine is a must. A first aid kit is an absolute essential in sports. Basic kits with added athletic tape and instant cold packs can get them back in the game or at least comfortable enough to ride to urgent care.
Pack bug spray. Just do it. No matter what time of year or time of game, make sure you pack bug spray. Whether it’s the stinky deep woods or Avon’s Skin So Soft, nothing can ruin your day at the field like literally being eaten alive by pests.
Wear sunscreen. Even GOATs get burned. Help them not to by ALWAYS wearing sunscreen. Whether it’s raining, cloudy, sunny, or even indoors, please put sunscreen on your athletes. Horrible sunburns as kids severely increase all kinds of scary things later on. My gingers are always covered up — don’t forget about yourself, as well!
Last But Not Least
Make those sports mom friends. While we know how important it is to have mom friends, Sports Mom Friends are a whole other level. You laugh with them, you cry with them. Together, you experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. In some cases, you may have to travel with them. Or carpool to practice. They are the lifeline of sports. The snack bringers. The tear wipers. The forever cheerleaders. Nothing compares to the bond you will have with the ladies you can hopefully keep on your team to raise your kids with.
That’s the ball game! Apologies for the long post, but there is so much that goes into being a Sports Mom that I didn’t even realize. It takes a special mom to take on everything when your World Cup runneth over. If you ignore everything else on my list, please, please, please, heed the words of Baz Luhrmann’s “Class of ’99 Song” and “trust me on the sunscreen”…and bug spray!
