As the weather gets nice, lacrosse season kicks into full gear. All three kids play and IronFish coaches, which means, this mama has a lot to do! If you’ve got kids in sports at any season, I’m sure you know how crazy it can get. O-Man is at a level where day-long tournaments take over our spring weekends. This year I decided to invest in a few items to help me get a better handle on the insanity of the sports season. The investment paid off in a reduction in overspending at fast food or food trucks. Not to mention, actually feeling like I had a handle on what was going on and being prepared for a whole day on the fields. Below are my must-haves for sports mom survival.
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Tournament Musts
When we spend full days at tournaments, sheltered relaxing space is a must for between games. Providing us with a home base for the day for players and family alike.
Our league has a tent like this:
But one is never enough for 20 kids plus families. Thankfully several of the families have tents so we set as many up altogether as possible. The straight legs (vs. angled legs) make it much easier to put near each other which is better for rain as well as shade.
Along with multiple tents, a few 6′ folding tables make the day go smoother.
Again, the league has one, but a few more of these prove helpful (we like 2-3). All of the shared food is laid out on the top and coolers and gear bags can be tucked underneath.
Chairs can make or break your day… the kids may be fine in any chair, but trust me, it’s worth a few extra bucks for something an adult will be comfortable in! We have collected a variety of chairs over the years. Right now the one pictured above is my favorite. When it’s time to move from tent to game, I simply fold it up and go, not even bothering putting back into the carrying bag.
A folding picnic blanket with a waterproof side is always in my trunk and great to pull out for games. We have a few of these, I like to pick them up when I see them on sale. Not only are they good for the kids to lounge around on between games, but great for keeping warm on cold game days. It’s not uncommon for us to find kids spread out asleep on them after a game on tournament day!
Nutrition
Some games fall right on the dinner hour and others require us to plan for the whole day. After seeing other sports mamas with wheeled coolers, we’ve upgraded to this one:
While we frequently have disposable water bottles so there is always plenty available for tournament days, we try to always bring our reusable water bottles full.
As a team, we try to always make sure there are lots of healthy snack and meal options for the day. This season we loved seeing the kids snacking on fresh fruit and sandwiches and not asking for fried food or candy!
Down Time
Teen and pre-teen boys (girls too!) need to be kept busy between games. At lacrosse tournaments, the kids don’t stop passing and playing between games. One of our team moms has a pop-up goal that gets lots of use. Since her son is older and moving up to another team, I’m putting this one on my Christmas list for O-Man.
The kids also like to play spike ball and can jam between games. Both are lightweight and easy to set-up. When we have tournaments with some of the other age-group teams, having a variety of things to play really helps keep the kids busy and the parents sane.
Music playing also makes for a fun tournament day. I finally got us our own portable Bluetooth speaker and case:
Sports Mom Survival
My kids have all the gear they need to play lacrosse. The right bag for their gear helps them stay organized and not forget things at home. Now that I have all my gear, I need a way to get everything there and still stay organized.
I’ve considered getting a folding wagon for several years now. Especially at tournaments and days when I’m lugging all sorts of things too and from the car. There are so many options out there now, but two features I decided were the most important to me was the weight supported and removable fabric. I’m all about being able to wash things easily.
This wagon fits the bill:
Our team colors are blue and white so many of the families have royal blue wagons. I like that we can still sport the blue but gray on the outside makes it obviously ours.
You can tell by the manufacture pictures I used, all of these items can be used for more than just game days. We’ve already used everything we invested in more than just for lacrosse season.
Oh, and don’t forget a good first-aid kit!
What are your tips for sports mom survival?
