The Sports Mom Survival Guide

School is back in session, which means so are Fall sports. By this time every year, my calendar is overflowing with practices and games. Our Saturdays will be booked from here until Winter, and even after, with cheering and hollering for our star player. Let the sports mom life commence.

My daughter has played year-round soccer since she was a little girl. So it’s safe to say I have quite a few years of that sports mom life under my belt. But I wasn’t always as savvy as I am now. No, there were times when I forgot the folding chairs or the snacks, and I looked like a complete hot mess.

Never forget the snacks!

Which is why I am here to shed some light and give you a few helpful tips to get you through a soccer/sports season if this is the route your child(ren) chooses to go down.

1. First and foremost, check ads and local used sports equipment stores for all you’ll need for your child’s sport. Let’s keep it real in saying that none of this comes cheap. You’ll have to pay an arm and a leg sometimes and it can be a bit daunting, but seeing them out there doing what they love really does make it all worth it.
2. Invest in comfortable chairs that are easily toted around. Trust me, you’ll be toting them around. For the first few games when my daughter was little, we stood and that was fine and dandy. But those quick games have now turned into her playing for almost an hour straight. Not all of us want to stand that long. Some even have built-in visors for the sun and rain. Because there will be sun and rain probably within the same hour. Most chairs come with cup holders, too.
3. Get acquainted with the other parents. You think this is a fleeting moment and maybe Billy won’t be playing the same sport next year. Before you know it, you’ve been sitting side-by-side with Billy’s mom for four years now. Sports moms unite! They are your biggest supporters. Can’t make a game? Maybe someone can give your kiddo a ride. Forget a snack? Someone almost always has spare. The team parents are the absolute best people to have in your corner. Not sure if there is a game this weekend? Someone knows. They are a wealth of knowledge. 
4. Get yourself a planner, a big wall calendar, or start utilizing your phone’s calendar because there are dates upon dates to remember. Practices, rescheduled practices because of weather, games, and (you guessed it) rescheduled games, parent meetings and so on. You don’t want to drop the ball on this one. Unless you made friends with Billy’s mom. She’ll remind you if you forget. You might, and that’s okay.
5. Lastly, have fun! There is something so special about being a sports mom and watching your little ones out on the field, or dance floor, or whatever it is your child does. You’ll be tired, you’ll be hungry because practices are at weird times, and you’ll be broke. But they are creating some of the most amazing bonds and being taught the value of good sportsmanship and how to work hard. These are special times.

In all honesty, I absolutely love being a sports mom. Did I miss anything important? Share in the comments.