11 Sports Mom Tips You Need To Know
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I was once a new sports mom. I naively thought that you just pulled up to the game, took a seat on the bleachers, and left when it was over. I had no idea how consuming the life of a sports family can really be. I am finishing my first decade of being a sports mom, and I would consider myself a seasoned sports parent by now. Having three kids in sports is wild. We have done soccer, baseball, volleyball, softball, basketball, football, and TONS of travel ball. I’ve spent countless hours driving back and forth from practices and to games and battling every kind of weather imaginable-rain, snow, excessive heat, storms, freezing temperatures. I’ve waded through the challenges of questionable bathrooms, no bathrooms, stinky porta-potties, closed concession stands, and broken scoreboards.
From one sports mom to another, here are some of the most helpful tips that I’ve learned so far.
1. Bring cash.
Even after all of these years, I STILL sometimes find myself without cash. I don’t usually carry cash because the only time I really need it is for sporting events. I have had to borrow cash from fellow sports parents on more than one occasion. (It takes a village).
2. Get a great baseball chair or bleacher seat.
I can’t emphasize this one enough. Bleachers were designed for torture and you are going to be spending a LOT of time sitting. Investing in a great chair that will last for seasons to come is so important! I have had a few great chairs with different features-rocker, recliner, heated seats, canopy. My favorite is this one…GCI Portable Folding Chair.
For back and butt saving on bleachers, without lugging around a whole chair, this one is great. Bleacher Chair.
If you want to be fancy and try a heated chair for cold events, I bought my husband one like this for Christmas. Heated Camping Chair
3. Invest in Oxi Clean
For some strange reason, white seems to be a popular uniform option. I’ll never understand it. I’ve gotten some great advice for washing uniforms over the seasons. Everything from using a pressure sprayer to clean football and baseball pants to getting out stains with ivory soap. I am a fan of Oxiclean. It’s worked more than one miracle on our white baseball pants.
4. Have a dinner plan for late nights
As a sports parent, you quickly find out how time consuming and busy sports are. Your evenings are filled with travel and practice or games and some nights you may not get home until well after dinner time. This makes fast food feel like the easiest option. There are ways to eat healthier during the busiest sports weeks. Think crockpot and freezer meals, prepping on the go snacks on the weekends, and bringing along a cooler with drinks and snacks for later nights.
5. Bring your own cooler and snacks
You will save a ton of money by bringing along your own snacks and cooler to long evenings or weekend tournaments. I stock mine in the morning before we leave for an all day tournament and we have cold drinks and snacks all day, which limits trips to the concession stand.
6. It doesn’t matter how much you video, you will always miss the ONE great play. You will be distracted, your phone will be dead. Something will happen. Every single time. Increase your odds by investing in a Compact Portable Charger.
7. Weather Pod, Canopy or umbrella
If you’re an outdoor sports parent, you are going to need a product that will shield you from everything from rain, wind, sun, to bees and bugs. (Bees love the open trash cans at sports fields) Bring an umbrella from home for rain and for shade.
The sports parents that have it together are the canopy parents. Because I do NOT have it together, I haven’t invested in a canopy yet, but luckily there is always an awesome parent that will share their shade.
Even better is this Weather Pod. This thing is great for keeping bugs away, giving shade, and protecting from wind and rain.
8. Pack a sports essential bag to take on the go filled with snacks, gum, bandaids, travel sized medicine, bugspray, sunscreen, wet wipes, tissues, grocery bags for trash, chapstick, extra hair ties and a brush. I love this Rubber Tote. It’s more affordable than the brand name Bogg Bag, it’s easy to clean and you can access everything you need easily.
9. A wagon is a great way to pack everything you need in an easy to transport spot. These are great for younger siblings and days when you have a lot of gear or you’re settling in for several hours.
10. This Waterproof Picnic Blanket is great for wet grass or bleachers, mud and everything in between. I use mine all the time.
11. Find your tribe.
Considering the amount of time you will be spending at practices and games, if you can find your sports family, it will be much more enjoyable. It takes a village and having your own village makes life so much better. You can carpool, share supplies, commiserate, and laugh together. Maybe your sports tribe will even spot you a few dollars when you forget your cash. Again.
